Australian Test cricketer, Richie Benaud, OBE, [1930-2015], married Marcia Lavender in 1953 and the couple had two sons, Greg and Jeffery, from their marriage. He divorced Marcia in 1967, and on the 26 July 1967 married his second wife Daphne Surfleet, who had worked for the English cricket writer E. W. Swanton.

Born in Penrith, New South Wales, in 1930. Benaud helped restore Australia to the top of world cricket in the late after a slump in the early 1950s.

He became Australia’s Test captain in 1958, a position he held until his retirement in 1964. In the previous year he became the first player to reach 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket.

After his retirement from international cricket, Benaud became a highly regarded commentator on the game.

Following his death in 2015, at the age of 84, the cricket legend left his multi-million dollar estate to his wife of 48 years, 79 year-old Daphne Benaud, leaving her to decide if she wanted to share his legacy with his children from his previous marriage, or keep it all to herself.

However, in the event that she died within 30 days of his passing, Benaud left instructions that a part of his estate went to his two estranged sons Gregory and Jeffery, together with his brother John, and Daphne’s family. His ex-wife of 14 years Marcia was left out of the will.

His first wife Marcia, along with her son Gregory, launched a legal action in the New South Wales Supreme Court, challenging for a slice of the inheritance. During which she revealing details of the life she once shared with the emerging Test cricketing star. Alleging that on more than one occasion she challenged her ex-husband in court about payments for their two sons. Claiming that initially he had kept in touch with their sons, but as years went by they ‘didn’t see him as often’. After she divorced him on the grounds of desertion in 1967, Marcia revealed she had sometimes struggled to raise their two sons in the years since.

The matter was later resolved and the terms of the settlement remain confidential.

Benaud was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire [OBE] in 1961 for services to cricket.

26 July, 2019