Few in the cricket world have mourned the passing of Richie Benaud after his battle with illness as deeply as his former NSW and Australia teammate - and close friend - Alan Davidson, who can vividly recall the first time they met in a schoolboy match during World War II.

Davidson, aged 85, remembered being a 15-year-old playing for the Northern High Schools XI against City High Schools in 1944 and being pitted against the "little blond head" all-rounder who'd in time become his state and national captain.

"I knew Richie longer than any other cricketer,  I still remember him batting as I bowled left-arm orthodox spin," said Davidson, who'd become Australia's greatest left-arm fast bowler.

"Every now and then I bowled a 'Chinaman'  and one was absolutely perfect; the line, the length . . . poor Richie got the shock of his life!

"He jammed down on it and looked up at me with this absolute look of horror at being so surprised and despite everything we did together in the years that followed that look is a lasting memory I have of Richie; the 14-year-old who became my great mate.

"I played against him in club cricket, played alongside him for NSW in 1949 and then Australia. I liked that he always had a positive attitude because I was the same - we liked to take the initiative."

Benaud and Davidson are credited by cricket's historians as restoring Australia to the top of the world cricket pile in the late 1950s and '60s after they were humbled in the years that immediately followed Don Bradman's retirement. Davidson noted Australia's re-emergence as a heavyweight was built on Benaud's captaincy and a willingness by both men to work long and hard in the SCG nets.

"We'd been to England in '53, the West Indies in '55 and in '56 we got vapourised [in England] but after we got home Richie and I talked," said Davidson. "He worked as a journalist in The Sun newspaper office and I'd catch the train to Central and we'd catch the tram to Anzac Parade together and walk with our gear to the SCG.

"On this particular day he asked 'why is it the English bowlers can put a ball anywhere they like?' The reason, he said, was because Alec Bedser bowled 1100 overs a year in his County season - that wasn't counting Test matches.

"We decided during that 1956-57 summer, which was a domestic season, that we'd bowl unchanged from 4pm until 6.30 . . . unchanged  . . . and, believe me, by the time you got to 6pm you saw stars and all sorts of things! I had to remind myself 'back foot, front arm' and I'd talk to myself so I knew where the ball would pitch. Richie, well, he reached the stage where he could bowl blindfolded.

"We went to Africa in '57-58 and both of us scored over 800 runs. He took 100 wickets, I took 72 and all of the work we'd done over that previous eight months made us what we were. Richie's view was the only way you could get accuracy was by bowling, bowling, bowling and working on technique."

Benaud was a captain who didn't expect his players to do what he couldn't but in an age of dour tactics he showed enterprise and courage. He did such things as send the opposition into bat first - something that was unheard of. He was happy to set declarations to ensure a result and midway through his final Test series he stood down to allow Bob Simpson the chance to cut his teeth as Australia's captain.

"He was a great assessor of the game," Davidson said. "With Richie it was never a risk but always a calculated decision to do something.

"Nobody ever analysed or knew the opposition like Richie did and it was the same thing with his own team - he knew what every player in the side could do and that allowed for him to make decisions which, to the outsider, who wasn't a cricket expert, seemed 'different'.

"Richie could assess a situation quickly, it wasn't so much waiting for a coach to send a message out because he acted mid-over. I bowled long spells for him on many an occasion ... he was a brilliant captain, a joy to play for - you have no idea."

Under Benaud's reign the Australian team followed a strict conduct of sportsmanship and Davidson noted tantrums and send-offs were not part of that baggy green team's culture.

"He always had the ethics of cricket in his mind," he said. "There was never a scene with any of the players when he was captain. Never any ill-feeling, no bad behaviour.

"Whenever a bloke lost his cool and started to carry on Richie said 'that'll be enough' and it stopped immediately. It was the happiest time I know in cricket because he moulded together a group of blokes who became a good team. We had Norman O'Neill, Bob Simpson, Neil Harvey, Peter Burge and Bill Lawry. It says a lot that a player as good as Brian Booth struggled to get into the team.

"We had a great team and when you have a brilliant tactician and a man who was always confident, it's not hard to realise why success followed.

"It was a wonderful time of cricket  We went to Africa in '57-58; we played England in 59, toured India and Pakistan in 1959-60 and hosted the West Indies here in 1960-61. Test cricket was rejuvenated in that series by two men who were wonderful people. Frank Worrell was an amazing person, as was Richie . . . it might sound unheard of now but we went out socially with our opposition in the middle of a Test match.

"The legacy of the leadership by both captains is the camaraderie is such if we meet the West Indians today we don't shake hands, we bear hug. The mateships continue 55-years later."

Davidson acknowledged Benaud would be missed for many reasons. He was a great cricketer, a groundbreaking captain, a journalist, commentator, critic, researcher and lifelong student of the noble game.

But, 70-years-after he shocked the "little blond kid" with a well bowled delivery, Davidson noted he'd lost more than most.

"Something I admired about Richie was while he was idolised by people he never changed, he was always the same person," he said. "Ours was a life-long friendship and it was a friendship I valued."