HE is the patriarch of the game in Australia and the voice of cricket every summer.

Now, with a father’s tenderness and capturing the heart-break of a nation, Richie Benaud has lent his evocative narration to Channel 9’s powerful tribute to Phillip Hughes.

In a beautiful snapshot of the late cricketer’s life, Benaud’s eulogy of sorts pays homage to the boy from Macksville, who died on Thursday of a ‘catastrophic’ brain injury after being struck by an errant bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG on Tuesday.

As a 30-second slide show of Hughes’ early cricketing career and family photos play, Benaud reads: “a boy, just beginning...25 years of age...baggy green number 408.”

“His father’s best mate...son, brother, fighter, friend...inspiration.”

“Phillip Hughes, forever rest in peace, son.”

The touching clip is expected to air across the weekend, a powerful farewell from the game’s official broadcasting network.