List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Richie Benaud

In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer")^[1] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement,^[2] and as of December 2015 only 45 bowlers have taken at least 15 five-wicket hauls at international level in their cricketing careers.^[3] Richie Benaud, a leg spinner and former captain of the Australia cricket team, played 63 Tests for his country between 1952 and 1964.^[4] He took 248 wickets at an average of 27.03, including 16 five-wicket hauls.^[4][5] The cricket almanack Wisden named him one of their Cricketers of the Year in 1962.^[6] He was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2007,^[7] and into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame as one of the inaugural members in January 2009.^[8][9] Leo McKinstry, a cricket writer, in 1998 described Benaud as "one of cricket's greatest legends" and "one of the great all-rounders", and further noted him being the first to take 200 wickets and make 2,000 runs in Tests.^[10]

Benaud made his Test debut in January 1952 against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a match Australia won by 202 runs.^[11] His first Test five-wicket haul came in the first match of the 1956–57 series against India at the Corporation Stadium.^{[n 1]} He took 7 wickets for 72 runs in the first innings of the match, his best bowling figures for an innings.^[12] Benaud took his solitary pair of five-wicket hauls in the third Test of the series at the Eden Gardens. He accumulated 11 wickets for 105 runs in the match, his career-best performance in Test cricket.^[12][13] Benaud claimed his 16 five-wicket hauls against five different opponents, and Australia never lost any of the games on such instances. He was most successful against India and South Africa, taking 5 five-wicket hauls against each side.^[12] Benaud took his five-wicket hauls at 12 cricket grounds, including 11 at venues outside Australia.^[12] As of August 2014, he is thirty-first among all-time combined five-wicket haul takers.^{[n 2]}