A ‘Simply Marvellous’ Richie Tribute – Ten Of His Best!

With the very sad news of Richie Benaud’s passing this morning, what better way to remember the great man than in this video testimonial.

What couldn’t he do? From one of Australia’s best players and captains, to the ‘voice of cricket’ across the globe and there was little he wouldn’t put his name to; flogging anything from Milo, shaving cream, lamb cutlets and holidays. Enjoy these tid bits of the great man’s life…

No one was smoother or cooler than calling a player being hit fair-square in the nuts:

But don’t get Richie pissed. Here he unloads following the famous ‘underarm’ delivery of 1981:

Nothing made Richie cream the whites more than watching his spinning prodigy, Shane Warne, send one down:

Long before sportspeople started flogging shit, Richie was selling the merits of anything from shaving cream to chocolate milk:

He then happily put his name to lamb cutlets in a Monkey’s ad from Australia Day this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpZhJcZD2H4

Despite being and erudite and intelligent man, that didn’t stop Richie occasionally reverting back to incoherent waffle:

He even put his face to a campaign for Tourism Australia in 2004.

They say mimicry is the ultimate form of flattery and Billy “12th Man” Birmingham made a career out of it taking the piss out of Richie. And occasionally it could be very. very funny indeed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB5PHjTFuls

And soon everybody was getting in on the impersonations:

And lastly, an appropriate tribute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT5r7XvOBtY