To generations Richie Benaud was an astute observer of cricket, a fixture of television coverage. Behind the public fa ade was a charming man whose modesty and firmness of opinion dictated that no one would write his official biography-and no friend of his should help an unofficial biographer.

In Benaud, Brian Matthews offers a personal appreciation of Richie Benaud- the dashing exponent of leg spin, innovative captain and prolific writer about the game, but also the intensely private individual. From backyard games in the 1950s and an encounter at Old Trafford to Benaud's heyday in the commentary box-via the Benaud family home in Parramatta and ancestral home in France-Matthews traces the contours in the life of one of the greats.