Richie Benaud has been farewelled in the quiet and private ceremony he desired.

The beloved cricketer and commentator was laid to rest on Wednesday at a small service in Sydney’s eastern suburbs led by former team mate Brian Booth.

Benaud, a celebrated all-rounder who captained Australia before forging a decades-long broadcasting career, died in his sleep on Friday aged 84.

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His family, who declined the offer of a state funeral, described Benaud in a memorial booklet as a “special person who means so much to each of us in many different ways”.

The ties Benaud forged throughout his life were reflected in the various luminaries who attended a larger memorial function on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the cricketing greats at The Australian Golf Club in Rosebery were Shane Warne, Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor, along with current captain Michael Clarke.

They were joined by broadcasting giant Alan Jones, TV personality Eddie McGuire and Nine Network boss David Gyngell.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed this week that Benaud’s family had turned down the offer of a state funeral.

“My understanding is that Richie’s own wish was for something very, very quiet and very, very private,” he said.

In lieu of flowers, the Benaud family asked guests to donate to the Primary Club, a charity that provides sporting facilities for the disabled, for whom Benaud was a patron.

The family also thanked the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick and the staff of the Wolper Hospital in Woollahra.

-AAP