Richie Benaud and the Top 5 Cricket Commentators of the Past 15 Years

On October 6 in 1930, the great Richie Benaud was born.

An all-rounder who bowled leg-spin and batted down the order, the Australian became the first player in the history of Test cricket to do the double of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs. He captained his country for 28 of his 63 Test appearances, and when he retired in 1964, he was Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the longest format.

However, only those of a certain age will have had the pleasure of watching Benaud in action.

The vast majority will instead know the man from his distinguished career in the commentary box. Hugely popular for his work in both his homeland and England, Benaud—complete with sweeping white, wispy hair—was subtly brilliant.

There were no catchphrases (if you take out how the number "two" ended up being pronounced as “chew”), just a desire to describe the game without ever overshadowing the pictures.

Having fought a long battle against skin cancer, Benaud died in Sydney at the age of 84.

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement, per Dan Brettig of ESPN Cricinfo, “Our country has lost a national treasure. After Don Bradman, there has been no Australian player more famous or more influential than Richie Benaud.”

To mark the day he would have turned 85, Bleacher Report has selected the top five commentators from the past 15 years.

Honourable Mentions

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There is a well-trodden path these days from the dressing room to the commentary box, meaning there were plenty of candidates for the top five.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain is well respected for his honesty on air, not to mention a dry sense of humour that he rarely displayed during his playing career.

He is joined in the Sky Sports commentary box by ex-England coach David Lloyd. Bumble, as the Lancastrian is known, never takes the game too seriously. His approach has made him a natural for the crash, bang, wallop of Twenty20 cricket.

Harsha Bhogle, meanwhile, is a rarity on television—a commentator who didn’t have a career in the game.

Having studied chemical engineering and also having worked in an advertising agency, Indian Bhogle began his media life in radio before moving into television.

There are also two senior pros who deserve to be mentioned here—West Indian Tony Cozier and Bill Lawry of Australia. Each makes his huge passion for the game clear in the way he goes about his work.

There are others who deserve to be mentioned, so feel free to air your views through the comments section.

5. Mark Nicholas

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A former county pro in England, Mark Nicholas may seem like a strange selection to start the top five. However, bear with me for a moment.

Nicholas—whose mother, Annie, was an actress—moved into the media after hanging up his boots. He never played international cricket, but the former Hampshire captain has developed the ability to talk about it.

There are two reasons why Nicholas makes it onto the short and prestigious list.

First, he was the man who fronted Channel 4's coverage of the Ashes series in England in 2005. That summer was special, as the sport slipped into the mainstream and provided great drama.

Second, Nicholas has—like Benaud—become popular in enemy territory. He is the Englishman who can be found fronting cricket coverage on the Nine Network in Australia.

While he may not be everyone's cup of tea, and he can at times be guilty of making a mountain out of a molehill, Nicholas has been at the heart of cricket coverage for the past 15 years.

For that reason he deserves a place on the list.

4. Michael Atherton

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Michael Atherton appeared in 115 Tests for England, though it could be argued his career has been even more successful since he packed in playing.

Educated at Manchester Grammar School before going on to Cambridge University, Atherton earned the nickname FEC—Future England Captain.

Sure enough, he ended up in the job at the age of 25. His most famous innings came against South Africa during the 1995-96 tour—the opening batsman made an unbeaten 185 that spanned 643 minutes to save a Test in Johannesburg.

Atherton made the quick transition from the field to the media following his retirement in 2002.

He now works as both a television commentator and a newspaper journalist. His written work has seen him win several awards.

When he’s on air, Atherton is descriptive and detailed, yet he tries to never say too much. That is a skill he honed while working alongside Richie Benaud, as he learned from the master.

But there’s also the odd moment when Athers slips out from being the professional in the box to become a fan again, just like those watching on. If a batsman is suddenly dismissed just shy of a milestone or falls in unfortunate circumstances, Atherton will respond with an “Oh no!”

It is wonderful that, after all these years in the job, he is still able to be surprised by the game of cricket.

3. Michael Holding

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Michael Holding was known as Whispering Death during his playing career because he was so quiet on his approach to the crease when bowling.

The proud Jamaican was a major part of a fearsome West Indies team that became the dominant force in world cricket.

Known for a long run-up that helped him work up a serious head of steam, he claimed 249 wickets in 60 Test appearances. Holding rarely seemed to crack a smile when he was bowling, but since moving to the commentary box, he has become more languid and relaxed.

That is, however, unless something gets under his skin.

He has never been shy in offering his opinion and has, at times, been a critic of the way the game is run. Just occasionally, you get Holding off a long run again.

Yet, for the most part, Holding’s style of commentary mirrors the way he used to run in to bowl—he’s smooth and stylish, all the while appearing to be completely natural.

It should also be mentioned that there is nothing better than a batsman being cleaned up during a Holding commentary stint, giving the viewer the chance to hear him utter the words “bowled him!” in his wonderful Jamaican twang.

2. Tony Greig

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Tony Greig was a 6'6", blond-haired all-rounder who was born in South Africa but played for England.

He featured in 58 Tests and had a spell as captain, though his time in charge is best perhaps remembered for him insisting he would make West Indies “grovel” when they toured England in 1976.

A charismatic sort, Greig got on board with Kerry Packer to help launch World Series Cricket.

Once his playing days were done, he moved into the Channel Nine commentary box, a logical move for a man who wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion. He became known for his pitch reports in Australia, as well as his sun hats. He also had a sense of the occasion, seemingly knowing just when the time was right to get excitement in his voice.

And, in the quiet times during a game, Greig would commentate on the crowd, rather than the cricket.

His relationship with fellow commentator Bill Lawry was prickly on air, but the duo was best of friends when they weren’t on duty.

Following Greig’s death at the age of 66, Lawry told Brydon Coverdale of ESPN Cricinfo, "Tony's views were sometimes completely different to mine. But the point was we could have a bit of a challenge on air and as soon as we walked away we were the best of friends. We didn't have a cross word in the 33 years that I've known him. He was just a gentleman.”

1. Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud tops the list, even though going back 15 years only covers the tail end of his long stint in the commentary box.

He was a rarity in that he was an Australian loved in England, having become a fixture on television screens in both countries soon after his playing career was over.

For the doyen of cricket commentators, it was summer all year round.

When describing Benaud in the Cricket Monthly on ESPN Cricinfo, journalist Russell Jackson wrote:

"

Outside of people with whom I actually have personal relationships, Richie's is probably the voice I have listened to most. In his company my brothers and I learned the rules of the game, then some of its history, but mostly the fact that it is special and joyous and thus worthy of careful consideration when we discuss it. Without preaching, Richie always made cricket sound like the most important game on earth, and pretty soon I'd decided that it was.

"

That was the brilliance of Benaud—he knew that sometimes the game of cricket said enough without him having to add too much.

A man who had eight simple commentary rules said goodbye to English audiences in 2005. He received a standing ovation from the Oval crowd at the fifth Ashes Test, too. Not many, if any, commentators can say they received such a farewell.

Benaud's longevity saw him touch several generations, and very few cricket fans would argue that he deserves to be anywhere else but the top of the list.

If you want to have your say on the top five—or those that missed out—use the comments section at the bottom of the page. Please, though, understand this is all a matter of opinion.