Editing Richie Benaud (section)

==Peak years and captaincy==
[[File:Richie Benaud graph.png|left|thumb|400px|Benaud's Test career batting performance<ref name=cricinfobio/>]]
After a break in the international calendar of a year, the 1957–58 tour to South Africa heralded the start of a phase of three international seasons when Benaud was at his peak. The tour saw his bowling talents come to the fore when he took 106 wickets,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/919/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|title=First-class bowling in each season by Richie Benaud|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171335/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> surpassing the previous record of 104 by England's [[Sydney Barnes]]. He scored 817 runs including four centuries, two of them in Test matches.<ref name="wisden"/> The first of these came in the First Test at [[Johannesburg]], where after conceding 1/115, Benaud struck 122, his highest Test score, to see Australia reach a draw.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22767.html|title=Australia in South Africa 1957/58 (1st Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171336/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the Second Test at [[Cape Town]], Benaud took 4/95 and then 5/49 in the second innings to secure an innings victory after the home team were forced to follow on.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22788.html|title=Australia in South Africa 1957/58 (2nd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102102933/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22788.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He followed this with 5/114 in a drawn Third Test,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22821.html|title=Australia in South Africa 1957/58 (3rd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171342/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> before a match-winning all round performance in the Fourth Test in Johannesburg. Benaud struck exactly 100 in the first innings, before taking 4/70 in South Africa's reply. When South Africa followed on, Benaud took 5/84, which left Australia needing only one run to win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22832.html|title=Australia in South Africa 1957/58 (4th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=11 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911015438/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22832.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He took 5/82 in the second innings of the Fifth Test, the fourth consecutive match in which he had taken five wickets in an innings, as Australia took a 3–0 series win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22851.html|title=Australia in South Africa 1957/58 (5th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171342/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> He had been a major contributor to the series win, scoring 329 runs at 54.83 and taking 30 wickets at 21.93, establishing himself as one of the leading leg spinners of the modern era.<ref name=battingbyseason/><ref name=bowlingbyseason/>

When [[Ian Craig]] fell ill at the start of the 1958–59 season, Benaud was promoted to the captaincy ahead of vice-captain [[Neil Harvey]]. Harvey and Benaud had been captains of their respective states until Harvey moved in the same season for employment purposes from Victoria to New South Wales and became Benaud's deputy.<ref name="az"/><ref name="pollard">{{cite book|last=Pollard|first=Jack|title=''Cricket the Australian Way''|year=1969|page=59}}</ref> Benaud had little prior leadership experience, and faced the task of recovering the Ashes from an England team which had arrived in Australia as favourites. He led from the front with his bowling, taking match figures of 7/112 in his debut as captain as Australia claimed the First Test in [[Brisbane]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23216.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club in Australia and New Zealand 1958/59 (1st Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915032310/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23216.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Benaud's men won the Second Test,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23271.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club in Australia and New Zealand 1958/59 (2nd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171342/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> before he took 5/83 and 4/94 in the drawn Third Test.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23296.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club in Australia and New Zealand 1958/59 (3rd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171341/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> Benaud produced an all-round performance of 46, 5/91 and 4/82 in the Fourth Test in [[Adelaide]] to take an unassailable 3–0 series lead and regain the Ashes,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23329.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club in Australia and New Zealand 1958/59 (4th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915151134/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23329.html|url-status=live}}</ref> before scoring 64 and match figures of 5/57 to help take the Fifth Test and a 4–0 series result.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23242.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club in Australia and New Zealand 1958/59 (5th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171343/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> Benaud contributed 132 runs at 26.4 and 31 wickets at the low average of 18.83,<ref name=battingbyseason/><ref name=bowlingbyseason/> as well as his shrewd and innovative captaincy.<ref name="wisden"/> According to Neil Harvey, he also was the first captain who started hosting team meetings, a procedure now followed by his successors after he retired.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

Benaud then led Australia on its first full tour of the [[Indian subcontinent]], playing three and five Tests against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] and India respectively. Benaud took 4/69 and 4/42 in the First Test in [[Dhaka|Dacca]] (now in [[Bangladesh]]), sealing Australia's first win in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23825.html|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (1st Test)|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171341/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23825.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He took four wickets in a Second Test in [[Lahore]] that sealed the series 2–0,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23836.html|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (2nd Test)|archive-date=2 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102214019/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23836.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the last time Australia would win a Test in Pakistan until [[Mark Taylor (cricketer)|Mark Taylor]]'s men in 1998, 37 years later. Six further wickets in the drawn Third Test saw Benaud end the series with 84 runs at 28 and 18 wickets at 21.11.<ref name=battingbyseason/><ref name=bowlingbyseason/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23846.html|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (3rd Test)|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171346/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> Benaud made a strong start to the series against India, taking 3/0 in the first innings of the First Test in [[Delhi]], before a 5/76-second innings haul secured an innings victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23857.html|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (1st Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171345/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23857.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Benaud had less of an impact on the next two Tests, which Australia lost and drew, totaling 6/244.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23863.html|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (2nd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=7 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107113423/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23863.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23887.html|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (3rd Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171347/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> He returned to form with 5/43 and 3/43 as India were defeated by an innings after being forced to follow on in the Fourth Test in [[Chennai|Madras]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23914.html|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (4th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171347/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref> A further seven wickets from the captain in the Fifth Test saw Australia secure a draw and the series 2–1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23936.html|title=Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60 (5th Test)|publisher=Cricket Archive|access-date=10 April 2015|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924171353/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}</ref>

Benaud had contributed 91 runs at 15.16 and 29 wickets at 19.59.<ref name=battingbyseason/><ref name=bowlingbyseason/> The first two seasons of the Benaud captaincy had been a resounding success, with Australia winning eight, drawing four and losing only one Test. Benaud's personal form was a major factor in this success. In the previous seasons when he and his team were at their peak, he had scored 636 runs at 31.8 with taken 108 wickets at 20.27 in eighteen Tests, averaging six wickets a match.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}