Blessed cricket season. Lazy days spent at the ground or in the backyard or on the couch as the soothing sounds of ball on willow fill the background air. A cool drink in hand. The burning sun beating down on the pitch. A more pure distillation of Australiana there ne’er has been.
For decades, that wonderful setting was accompanied by the calm, soothing, always reserved tones of the great Richie Benaud‘s commentary on Channel Nine. An absolute fixture of sports broadcasting and an indisputable national treasure, Richie’s voice was as much a part of the Australian summer as sunburn and short shorts.
Sadly, our dear old mate Rich passed away in April of 2015, at the age of 84. But his legacy as one of Australia’s all-time great cricketers, and our greatest ever cricket broadcaster, endures.
And if an ever-growing group of good-hearted larrikins gets their way, Richie’s name might get a permanent place on the Australian cricketing calendar.
It is Day 2 of the Sydney Test Match today, and once again the SCG is awash with people dressed to the nines in Richie’s trademark cream, bone, white, off-white, ivory, and beige jackets.
It’s Richies day at the game between Australia and Pakistan. And though the organising group has turned the event into a travelling circus that descends on day two of every test in Australia, it’s still Sydney that gets the biggest roll-out.
Would ya bloody look at ’em today and all too! It started off with a stop by the Today Show:
We love a Richie Benaud impression! #9Today pic.twitter.com/zsrUSaReg3
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) January 3, 2017
From there the great Gathering of the Richies made their annual pilgrimage to the ground:
Benauds! pic.twitter.com/6EokTdOFP2
— Social Syl (@sylmobile) January 3, 2017
The group is spearheading a push to get day two of the Sydney test officially dubbed “Richie Benaud Day” in honour of the great man, and are aiming to grow the group to the point of it being a fully-fledged touring fan group, on par with England’s revered Barmy Army.
That’s absolutely marvellous, if you ask me.
MARVELLOUS !
Every year fans turn up as Richie Benaud at @SCG on the New Year Test Match.
Was Richie your fav commentator too? pic.twitter.com/0TrCBWPqTT
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) January 2, 2017
Marvellous indeed.
Source: The Richies.
Photo: Scott Barbour – CA/Getty.
