A Commentator’s Farewell

It is entirely appropriate that Richie Benaud’s last television commentary in this country should have been delivered in the final Ashes test of 2005 at the Oval, the culmination of a series he regards as the finest ever between England and Australia.

The modest, unfussy way in which Richie signed off recalled the final words on Test Match Special of the late great John Arlott in the Centenary Test at Lords, when he closed his magnificent career with “And after Trevor Bailey it will be Christopher Martin-Jenkins.”

Both events were sufficient to bring play to a standstill, as players and spectators joined in tributes that spoke volumes about the immense respect and affection in which two unique commentators – one a former Australian captain, the other an ex-policeman who would have given almost anything to have been a decent county player – are held.

No two commentators have been subjected to so many attempts at imitation, but in reality the quality and originality of their work makes Benaud and Arlott truly inimitable.

And for Richie, himself a distinguished leg spinner, perhaps the most moving – and meaningful - moment on that poignant day at the Oval came when Shane Warne, widely regarded as the greatest spin bowler in the history of cricket, made a point of trotting over to pay his respects in person.