article_snippet.sent: At Lord’s, MCC flags were lowered, and the Australian government offered a state funeral for the man who never lost a Test series as his country’s captain, then became a commentator.
article_snippet.sent: David Cameron said David Cameron had ‘grown up listening to Lord’s wonderful cricket commentary’, while Richie Benaud Australian counterpart Tony Abbott called it ‘a sad day for Australia’.
article_snippet.sent: Here, we reproduce a tribute paid by the Mail’s brilliant sports columnist IAN WOOLDRIDGE — which IAN wrote in 2005 after coverage of live international cricket in England switched from terrestrial to satellite TV, depriving cricket fans of Benaud’s voice . . .
article_snippet.sent: Richie Benaud in the commentary box at the Oval for the final test of the 2005 Ashes.
article_snippet.sent: Thereafter international cricket fans in England lost Richie Benaud in the commentary box at the Oval for the final test of the 2005 Ashes genius when live game switched from terrestrial to satellite TV .
article_snippet.sent: ’ Richie Benaud rings the bell on the pavilion balcony on the second day of the second test between England and Australia at Lord's during the 2009 Ashes .
article_snippet.sent: Laconic, economic, massively instructive and with a dry impartial wit about whoever is getting the upper hand in a Test match, I wonder if we shall ever hear Lord like again on television?
article_snippet.sent: Very few have served the slogging apprenticeship that makes a master cricket commentator.
highlights_snippet.sent: International cricket fans in England lost legend's voice after 2005 Ashes .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: This led Ian Wooldridge to pay homage to 'cricket's finest commentator'
  
highlights_snippet.sent: As a player Ian Wooldridge led Ian Wooldridge country in 28 of Ian Wooldridge 63 Tests and never lost a series .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Mantra of 'never insulting the viewers' by saying too much made Ian Wooldridge great .