Benaud hoping to bow out with a grand Ashes finale

ON Thursday, millions of English cricket fans will tune into Channel Four desperately hoping to see the end of an unprecedented spell of Australian dominance.

Last month's thrilling wins at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge mean that Michael Vaughan's side need only to draw at The Oval to reclaim the Ashes for the first time in 16 years.

But, even if the Australians stage the recovery to end all recoveries later this week, the final Test of the summer will still mark the end of an era for one of their most revered compatriots.

After 42 years as the voice of the summer, this week's Test will be Richie Benaud's last as a commentator on English television.

"It is time to say goodbye," confirmed the 75-year-old, who began his broadcasting career on BBC Radio in 1960 and moved across to BBC Television three years later.

"There are no regrets because I'm happy to retire at the right time, as I did when I was playing.

"I've been extremely privileged to have had the career I've had and it's something that I'll treasure. I'm not going into retirement but I won't be doing any more television in the UK."

It is safe to assume that, for millions, cricket will never be the same. The sport's elongated and technical nature has always lent itself to a symbiotic relationship with those who bring it into our homes and Benaud's laconic wit and distinctive delivery have made him an acknowledged master of his craft.

Tellingly, he has been there from the very start. He was still playing cricket at the very highest level when television was introduced to Australia in 1956 but, sensing an opportunity to broaden his horizons, attended a BBC training course when he toured England in the same year.

That decision was to change his life. Working with the likes of Dan Maskell, Henry Longhurst and Peter O'Sullivan, Benaud was quickly feted as one of the most authoritative voices in the game.

His views continue to carry great weight today so, when he describes the current Ashes series as the best he has ever known, the quality of this summer's cricket becomes crystal clear.

"I've always found it very difficult to talk about best-ever Tests," said Benaud. "The best Test series I played in was definitely the tied series when Frank Worrell brought his side to Australia in 1960-61.

"I always used to say the best I was involved in as a commentator was the Ashes series in 1981. It had absolutely everything. Everyone obviously remembers Ian Botham's heroics at Headingley but, beyond that, the series was more thrilling than anything you could dream up.

"But now it's my view - and other people might think different - that the current series shades it.

"That's saying something because a long time has passed since 1981 and I don't think it's ever been challenged.

"But this has been a truly great series and I just hope it ends with a positive result. I hope someone wins at The Oval - I don't want a draw because of bad weather or negative cricket.

"I want to see either England win or Australia win - the series deserves it."

A prediction, though, is quite another thing and, given the way the series has swung so far, it would take a brave man indeed to put his neck on the block this week.

England looked to be dead and buried when Australia battered them into submission at Lord's but, since then, the hosts have outplayed their opponents in almost every session.

Andrew Flintoff has developed into an all-rounder of world repute, Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan have rediscovered their scoring touch, while Simon Jones' reverse swing has wreaked havoc in the Australian batting line-up.

Yet still the tourists are not beaten. England's second-innings struggle at Trent Bridge underlined just how much of a mental stranglehold Australia's world champions continue to exert. The finishing line is in sight - crossing it is quite another matter.

"It is astonishing that Australia are still very close to England," agreed Benaud. "But the fact is that, if they win at The Oval, they retain the Ashes.

"England were by far the better side at Edgbaston and Old Trafford, and again at Trent Bridge. But, as we've seen in the past, this Australia side don't know when to lay down and die.

"England are certainly on the up and the Australian selectors have some work to do, but anyone even half-thinking of making a prediction would be out of their mind."

A diplomatic answer perhaps but, ordinarily, Benaud is not one for sitting on the fence.

He was ostracised in South Africa for his outspoken criticism of disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje and courted controversy with the ECB when he blasted their handling of Michael Atherton's infamous ball-tampering affair.

Yet his flamboyant and single-minded commentary style should have come as no surprise to anyone - he had displayed exactly the same virtues on the cricket pitch some 30 years earlier.

Benaud marvels at how youngsters approach him now and ask if he ever played the game himself but, with the passage of time, it is unforgivably easy to understate his achievements.

He remains one of only ten Australians to have scored more than 10,000 runs and taken over 500 wickets in first-class cricket and was the first player to complete the double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Australia's Sheffield Shield. As one of the world's greatest leg-spinners, he also provided the inspiration for a certain Shane Warne.

"I've got many, many great memories," he said. "But the current controversy about England's use of substitute fielders reminds me of previous disputes surrounding the two sides.

"In 1961, I captained the Australian team to England and whether the batsmen would walk was a public issue.

"At the press conference on arrival I stressed that, on walking, it would be a matter for each individual in the team to make up his own mind. For my part, I had made up my mind to walk.

"When we played Sussex at Hove, I tried to drive Ronnie Bell and the ball landed in the rough and spun to Alan Oakman, who dived to his left and caught it amid shouts of joy from the fielders.

"Instinctively, on the shouts, I turned and took a pace to the pavilion when I suddenly thought 'Hell, I didn't hit that'.

"But I also thought instantly of the headlines had the Australian captain turned and walked back to the crease, so I kept walking."

It is difficult to imagine too many players today doing that. Yet, while times move on, the essence of the game remains the same.

That is why it continues to captivate, and why Benaud's love and enthusiasm for cricket remains undimmed.

"Cricket is a contradiction of itself," he said. "In a sense it is always as it has been, yet at the same time it is totally different.

"But this is a golden age. The 20 months from May 2003 up to the conclusion of the Test series between South Africa and England at the end of January 2005 was certainly the best time I had known."

Or at least it was until the start of this summer.

* Richie's Benaud's latest book, "My Spin On Cricket" is available now, published by Hodder & Stoughton and priced £18.99. It is also available as an audio book read by the author, with CDs priced £14.99 and cassettes at £9.99.