Richard Hadlee
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
cricket
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
, Nottinghamshire
and Tasmania
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
, and the brother of Dayle
and Barry Hadlee
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
as the second greatest Test
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
all-rounder
, in an 86-Test
career he took 431 wicket
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
, Imran Khan
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
, Joel Garner
, Kapil Dev
and Wasim Akram
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
, Kapil Dev
and Ian Botham
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
.
A tour to England in 1983
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
. The terrorist bomb
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
at Lords
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
at Lord's
.
The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
in Christchurch.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
for a duck.
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
cricket
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
, Nottinghamshire
and Tasmania
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
, and the brother of Dayle
and Barry Hadlee
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
as the second greatest Test
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
all-rounder
, in an 86-Test
career he took 431 wicket
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
, Imran Khan
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
, Joel Garner
, Kapil Dev
and Wasim Akram
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
, Kapil Dev
and Ian Botham
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
.
A tour to England in 1983
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
. The terrorist bomb
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
at Lords
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
at Lord's
.
The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
in Christchurch.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
for a duck.
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
cricket
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
, Nottinghamshire
and Tasmania
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
, and the brother of Dayle
and Barry Hadlee
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
as the second greatest Test
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
all-rounder
, in an 86-Test
career he took 431 wicket
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
, Imran Khan
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
, Joel Garner
, Kapil Dev
and Wasim Akram
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
, Kapil Dev
and Ian Botham
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
.
A tour to England in 1983
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
. The terrorist bomb
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
at Lords
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
at Lord's
.
The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
in Christchurch.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
for a duck.
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
New Zealanders
New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
Canterbury Wizards
The Canterbury Wizards are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is one of six teams that make up New Zealand Cricket and has been the most successful domestic team in New Zealand history...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
Walter Hadlee
Walter Arnold Hadlee, CBE was a New Zealand cricketer and Test match captain. He played domestic first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago. Three of his five sons, Sir Richard, Dayle and Barry played cricket for New Zealand...
, and the brother of Dayle
Dayle Hadlee
Dayle Robert Hadlee is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 11 ODIs from 1969 to 1978....
and Barry Hadlee
Barry Hadlee
Barry George Hadlee is a former cricketer from New Zealand. He was a right-handed opening batsman. In a first-class career lasted 20 years, he represented Canterbury 84 times. His most consistent form came late in his career...
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
as the second greatest Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
Twelve Local Heroes
The Twelve Local Heroes is a series of bronze busts located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand on Worcester Boulevard outside the Arts Centre to commemorate twelve local Christchurch people who were prominent in their respective fields in the latter part of the 20th...
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Test career
A bowlingBowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, in an 86-Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
career he took 431 wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
.
A tour to England in 1983
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1983
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1983 season to play a four-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-1 with no matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at The Oval – England won by 189 runs...
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1986
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1986 season to play a three-match Test series against England.New Zealand won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Lord's – match drawn...
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Vernon Coney MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 52 Test matches and 88 ODIs for New Zealand, captaining them in 15 Tests and 25 ODIs. He was one of New Zealand's most successful batsmen, at least by average, and he made 16 fifties, but centuries often eluded him and he had to...
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
John Wright (cricketer)
John Geoffrey Wright is a former international cricketer representing - and captaining - New Zealand, and, following his retirement in 1993, coaching the Indian national cricket team from 2000 to 2005. He made his international debut in 1978 against England...
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
New Zealand cricket team in Sri Lanka in 1986–87
New Zealand played 1 Test which was drawn. The second and third Tests were both cancelled because of civil disturbances. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo...
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. The terrorist bomb
Central Bus Station Bombing
The Central Bus Station Bombing was the car bombing of the central bus terminal of Colombo carried out on April 21, 1987 in Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The bombing killed 113 civilians. - See also :* 2008 Sri Lanka bus bombings...
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer. He has a batting average of 37.14 in his 37 Tests between 1987/88 and 1996/97, as opposed to an overall first-class average of 55...
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1990
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1990 season to play a three-match Test series against England.England won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Trent Bridge — match drawn* at Lord's — match drawn...
at Lords
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju , better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy, was an Indian cricketer, cricket administrator and politician.- Childhood :...
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
Nottinghamshire career
For Nottinghamshire, on often overgrassed Trent BridgeTrent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
- 1981: 4252 balls, 231 maidens, 1564 runs, 105 wickets for 14.89 each.
- 1984: 4634 balls, 248 maidens, 1645 runs, 117 wickets for 14.05 each.
- 1987: 3408 balls, 186 maidens, 1154 runs, 97 wickets for 11.89 each (the lowest average since 1969).
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
Double (cricket)
A cricketer is said to achieve the double if he scores a thousand or more runs and also takes a hundred or more wickets in first-class matches during the course of a single season. The feat is extremely rare outside England because of the smaller number of first-class matches played in most other...
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn DaCosta Stephenson, born at Saint James, Barbados on 8 April 1959, is a former cricketer who had a first-class career for teams in four continents...
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Canterbury career
Because of seasonal differences, Hadlee also played provincial cricket in New Zealand, representing Canterbury.The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in cricket is an annual ODI series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries, the Chappell brothers of Australia and Walter Hadlee and his three sons, , of New Zealand.The trophy is currently held by...
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers AFC is one of the oldest still existing Canterbury football clubs located in Christchurch, New Zealand.- History :Rangers AFC was founded in 1910 by a group of dedicated players who were denied the opportunity to play on Saturday owing to the nature of their employment...
in Christchurch.
Sporting Awards
Hadlee has received many awards throughout his career, including:- Appointed MBE for services to New Zealand sport in 1981.
- Awarded a Knighthood for services to cricket in 1990.
- Winner of the Windsor Cup on 13 occasions, including 12 consecutive years, for the most meritorious bowling performance of the season.
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1980
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1986
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the last 25 years 1987 (shared with runner, John Walker)
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the Decade 1987
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of FameICC Cricket Hall of FameThe ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers'...
in 2009 - Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Nottingham University.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
Bowling style
Hadlee was a right-arm pace bowler. Initially extremely fast, as the years progressed he gained accuracy, movement off the wicket and in the air, and a reputation that probably gained him quite a few wickets on its own. Perhaps his most potent delivery was the often unplayable outswingerOutswinger
An outswinger is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is bowled by swing bowlers.An outswinger is bowled by holding the cricket ball with the seam at an angle and the first two fingers running along either side of the seam...
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
Bail (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to determine when the wicket is broken, which in turn is one of the critical factors in determining whether a batsman is out bowled, stumped, run out or hit wicket...
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
for a duck.
Batting style
Hadlee was an aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman. Though his record wasn't as strong against top international bowlers, he was effective at punishing lesser attacks. He finished his career scoring 15 Test fifties and two Test centuries, and so much so that for Nottinghamshire in 1984, 1986 and 1987 he averaged over 50 (only W.G. Grace and George Herbert HirstGeorge Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice...
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust
In August 1990, Hadlee established The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust. It was opened to help sportsmen and women who were in situations of hardship to strive for success in their chosen sporting or cultural discipline. The criteria for the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust are: the applicant must be under the age of 25, the applicant must be from the region of Canterbury New Zealand, the request for assistance is specifically for sporting or cultural purposes and applicant is disadvantaged, facing hardship or has special circumstances which prevent him or her from pursuing his or her sporting or cultural endeavors. The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust relies on the generosity of the community, as well as its corporate sponsors; CTV, Lion Nathan, News Talk ZB, Pernod Ricard, Pope Print, PR South and Vbase.Mental health
Due to the enormous stress Hadlee was under, in 1983 he experienced mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
External links
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
New Zealanders
New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
Canterbury Wizards
The Canterbury Wizards are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is one of six teams that make up New Zealand Cricket and has been the most successful domestic team in New Zealand history...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
Walter Hadlee
Walter Arnold Hadlee, CBE was a New Zealand cricketer and Test match captain. He played domestic first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago. Three of his five sons, Sir Richard, Dayle and Barry played cricket for New Zealand...
, and the brother of Dayle
Dayle Hadlee
Dayle Robert Hadlee is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 11 ODIs from 1969 to 1978....
and Barry Hadlee
Barry Hadlee
Barry George Hadlee is a former cricketer from New Zealand. He was a right-handed opening batsman. In a first-class career lasted 20 years, he represented Canterbury 84 times. His most consistent form came late in his career...
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
as the second greatest Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
Twelve Local Heroes
The Twelve Local Heroes is a series of bronze busts located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand on Worcester Boulevard outside the Arts Centre to commemorate twelve local Christchurch people who were prominent in their respective fields in the latter part of the 20th...
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Test career
A bowlingBowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, in an 86-Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
career he took 431 wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
.
A tour to England in 1983
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1983
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1983 season to play a four-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-1 with no matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at The Oval – England won by 189 runs...
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1986
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1986 season to play a three-match Test series against England.New Zealand won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Lord's – match drawn...
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Vernon Coney MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 52 Test matches and 88 ODIs for New Zealand, captaining them in 15 Tests and 25 ODIs. He was one of New Zealand's most successful batsmen, at least by average, and he made 16 fifties, but centuries often eluded him and he had to...
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
John Wright (cricketer)
John Geoffrey Wright is a former international cricketer representing - and captaining - New Zealand, and, following his retirement in 1993, coaching the Indian national cricket team from 2000 to 2005. He made his international debut in 1978 against England...
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
New Zealand cricket team in Sri Lanka in 1986–87
New Zealand played 1 Test which was drawn. The second and third Tests were both cancelled because of civil disturbances. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo...
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. The terrorist bomb
Central Bus Station Bombing
The Central Bus Station Bombing was the car bombing of the central bus terminal of Colombo carried out on April 21, 1987 in Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The bombing killed 113 civilians. - See also :* 2008 Sri Lanka bus bombings...
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer. He has a batting average of 37.14 in his 37 Tests between 1987/88 and 1996/97, as opposed to an overall first-class average of 55...
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1990
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1990 season to play a three-match Test series against England.England won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Trent Bridge — match drawn* at Lord's — match drawn...
at Lords
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju , better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy, was an Indian cricketer, cricket administrator and politician.- Childhood :...
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
Nottinghamshire career
For Nottinghamshire, on often overgrassed Trent BridgeTrent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
- 1981: 4252 balls, 231 maidens, 1564 runs, 105 wickets for 14.89 each.
- 1984: 4634 balls, 248 maidens, 1645 runs, 117 wickets for 14.05 each.
- 1987: 3408 balls, 186 maidens, 1154 runs, 97 wickets for 11.89 each (the lowest average since 1969).
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
Double (cricket)
A cricketer is said to achieve the double if he scores a thousand or more runs and also takes a hundred or more wickets in first-class matches during the course of a single season. The feat is extremely rare outside England because of the smaller number of first-class matches played in most other...
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn DaCosta Stephenson, born at Saint James, Barbados on 8 April 1959, is a former cricketer who had a first-class career for teams in four continents...
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Canterbury career
Because of seasonal differences, Hadlee also played provincial cricket in New Zealand, representing Canterbury.The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in cricket is an annual ODI series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries, the Chappell brothers of Australia and Walter Hadlee and his three sons, , of New Zealand.The trophy is currently held by...
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers AFC is one of the oldest still existing Canterbury football clubs located in Christchurch, New Zealand.- History :Rangers AFC was founded in 1910 by a group of dedicated players who were denied the opportunity to play on Saturday owing to the nature of their employment...
in Christchurch.
Sporting Awards
Hadlee has received many awards throughout his career, including:- Appointed MBE for services to New Zealand sport in 1981.
- Awarded a Knighthood for services to cricket in 1990.
- Winner of the Windsor Cup on 13 occasions, including 12 consecutive years, for the most meritorious bowling performance of the season.
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1980
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1986
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the last 25 years 1987 (shared with runner, John Walker)
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the Decade 1987
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of FameICC Cricket Hall of FameThe ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers'...
in 2009 - Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Nottingham University.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
Bowling style
Hadlee was a right-arm pace bowler. Initially extremely fast, as the years progressed he gained accuracy, movement off the wicket and in the air, and a reputation that probably gained him quite a few wickets on its own. Perhaps his most potent delivery was the often unplayable outswingerOutswinger
An outswinger is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is bowled by swing bowlers.An outswinger is bowled by holding the cricket ball with the seam at an angle and the first two fingers running along either side of the seam...
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
Bail (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to determine when the wicket is broken, which in turn is one of the critical factors in determining whether a batsman is out bowled, stumped, run out or hit wicket...
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
for a duck.
Batting style
Hadlee was an aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman. Though his record wasn't as strong against top international bowlers, he was effective at punishing lesser attacks. He finished his career scoring 15 Test fifties and two Test centuries, and so much so that for Nottinghamshire in 1984, 1986 and 1987 he averaged over 50 (only W.G. Grace and George Herbert HirstGeorge Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice...
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust
In August 1990, Hadlee established The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust. It was opened to help sportsmen and women who were in situations of hardship to strive for success in their chosen sporting or cultural discipline. The criteria for the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust are: the applicant must be under the age of 25, the applicant must be from the region of Canterbury New Zealand, the request for assistance is specifically for sporting or cultural purposes and applicant is disadvantaged, facing hardship or has special circumstances which prevent him or her from pursuing his or her sporting or cultural endeavors. The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust relies on the generosity of the community, as well as its corporate sponsors; CTV, Lion Nathan, News Talk ZB, Pernod Ricard, Pope Print, PR South and Vbase.Mental health
Due to the enormous stress Hadlee was under, in 1983 he experienced mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
External links
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 3 July 1951) is a former New Zealand
New Zealanders
New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played provincial cricket for Canterbury
Canterbury Wizards
The Canterbury Wizards are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is one of six teams that make up New Zealand Cricket and has been the most successful domestic team in New Zealand history...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
. He is the son of Walter Hadlee
Walter Hadlee
Walter Arnold Hadlee, CBE was a New Zealand cricketer and Test match captain. He played domestic first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago. Three of his five sons, Sir Richard, Dayle and Barry played cricket for New Zealand...
, and the brother of Dayle
Dayle Hadlee
Dayle Robert Hadlee is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 11 ODIs from 1969 to 1978....
and Barry Hadlee
Barry Hadlee
Barry George Hadlee is a former cricketer from New Zealand. He was a right-handed opening batsman. In a first-class career lasted 20 years, he represented Canterbury 84 times. His most consistent form came late in his career...
. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.
Hadlee was appointed MBE in 1980 and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1990 for services to cricket. He is a former chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
in cricketing history. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
as the second greatest Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
bowler of all time. In March 2009, Hadlee was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes
Twelve Local Heroes
The Twelve Local Heroes is a series of bronze busts located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand on Worcester Boulevard outside the Arts Centre to commemorate twelve local Christchurch people who were prominent in their respective fields in the latter part of the 20th...
, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
.
On 3 April 2009, Sir Richard Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Test career
A bowlingBowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, in an 86-Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
career he took 431 wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s (at the time the world record), and was the first bowler to pass 400 wickets, with an average of 22.29, and made 3124 Test runs at 27.16, including two centuries and 15 fifties.
Hadlee is rated by many experts as the greatest exponent of bowling with the new ball. He was the master of (conventional) swing and was the original l Sultan of Swing. Along with Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, Hadlee was seen as the finest fast bowler of his time, despite the contemporaneous presence of Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
among others.
As one of the four top all rounders of his time, the others being Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
, Hadlee was possibly the best bowler of them all, however his batting was generally considered weakest of the group.
Born in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, Hadlee made his first class debut for Canterbury in 1971/72 and his test match debut in 1973 - on both occasions, his first delivery was dispatched to the boundary. Hadlee was an inconsistent performer at test level for several years; however a breakthrough performance against India in 1976 in which he took 11 wickets in a game resulting in a win by New Zealand cemented his place in the side. In 1978, Hadlee helped New Zealand to a historic first win over England by taking 6 for 26 in England's second innings, bowling the visitors out for 64 chasing a target of 137.
In 1979/80, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were a formidable world cricket power. In the first test in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
New Zealand achieved a shock 1-wicket win, thanks in no small part to Hadlee's 11 wickets in the game. In the second test of the series, Hadlee recorded his maiden test century, helping New Zealand draw the test and win the series 1-0. The result was the start of a 12 year unbeaten home record for New Zealand in test match series. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
.
A tour to England in 1983
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1983
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1983 season to play a four-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-1 with no matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at The Oval – England won by 189 runs...
saw New Zealand register their first ever test win on English soil, at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. The match was remarkable for Hadlee's match return of 0 for 89, a very unusual occurrence in a New Zealand victory during his career. England eventually won the 4 test series 3-1, however Hadlee topped both batting and bowling averages for New Zealand in the series, and took his 200th test wicket in the final test at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. In the return test series in New Zealand in 1984, New Zealand completed a remarkable 3 day innings victory (including one day lost to rain) over England at Christchurch, in which England were dismissed for less than 100 in both of their innings. The match was also notable for Hadlee's superb all round performance - he took 8 wickets in the match, and scored a rapid-fire 99 in New Zealand's only innings.
1985/86 brought on a period in which Hadlee developed from a very good fast bowler to a truly great one. In New Zealand's tour to Australia, an outstanding all-round performance helped destroy the home team in the first test at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, beginning with a personal test best 9 for 52 in Australia's first innings. A batting effort of 54 (to complement a fine 188 by Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
) combined with 6 more wickets in Australia's second innings, helped New Zealand to a crushing innings victory. Hadlee followed this up with 7 wickets in a loss in the second test, and 11 wickets in a New Zealand victory in the third test, giving his country their first series win on Australian soil and a personal haul of 33 wickets in 3 tests. In the first test of the return series in New Zealand, Hadlee took his 300th test wicket by trapping Australian captain Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
LBW. The series was eventually won 1-0 by New Zealand by way of a victory in the third test at Eden Park.
In 1986 Hadlee helped New Zealand to a 1-0 series win in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1986
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1986 season to play a three-match Test series against England.New Zealand won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Lord's – match drawn...
, their first over that country in England. Hadlee's outstanding personal performance in the second test at Nottingham (his county 'home') where he took 10 wickets and scored 68 in New Zealand's first innings powered his team to victory. In this test Hadlee, often a controversial character, added to this side of his reputation when he felled (and hospitalised) England wicketkeeper and Nottinghampshire teammate Bruce French with a nasty bouncer. During the New Zealand v West Indies test at Christchurch in March 1987, Hadlee and captain Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Coney
Jeremy Vernon Coney MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 52 Test matches and 88 ODIs for New Zealand, captaining them in 15 Tests and 25 ODIs. He was one of New Zealand's most successful batsmen, at least by average, and he made 16 fifties, but centuries often eluded him and he had to...
had a disagreement in the dressing room prior to the game. It progressed to not talking to each other on the field, communicating through John Wright
John Wright (cricketer)
John Geoffrey Wright is a former international cricketer representing - and captaining - New Zealand, and, following his retirement in 1993, coaching the Indian national cricket team from 2000 to 2005. He made his international debut in 1978 against England...
at mid-on.
In April 1987, New Zealand traveled to Sri Lanka
New Zealand cricket team in Sri Lanka in 1986–87
New Zealand played 1 Test which was drawn. The second and third Tests were both cancelled because of civil disturbances. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo...
where Hadlee recorded his second test century. His 151 not out in the first test helped New Zealand to save the game, however the tour was unfortunately cut short due to a bomb exploding near the New Zealand team's hotel in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. The terrorist bomb
Central Bus Station Bombing
The Central Bus Station Bombing was the car bombing of the central bus terminal of Colombo carried out on April 21, 1987 in Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The bombing killed 113 civilians. - See also :* 2008 Sri Lanka bus bombings...
responsible for killing 113 civilians was planted by the Tamil Tigers separatist movement and was not targeted towards the touring New Zealand cricket team. However, the team voted overwhelmingly to return home after just one test of the scheduled three test tour.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987/88, when in the third test of a 3 match series in Australia he captured 10 wickets and nearly inspired New Zealand to an unlikely series equaling victory. The test ended with Australia's number eleven batsman Michael Whitney surviving a torrid last over bowled by an exhausted Hadlee. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand victory, and Hadlee a world record 374th test wicket, breaking current holder Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's record. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possession of the world record. However, Hadlee broke down injured on the first day of the first test, and was forced to sit out the rest of the series. At an awards dinner at the end of the season, Australian commentator Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, upon seeing Hadlee hobble up to the stage on crutches, said later that he thought Hadlee "would never play cricket again."
However, after a successful rehabilitation, the next opportunity for Hadlee to claim the test wicket world record was against India in India in 1988. After touring India in 1976 Hadlee, plagued by stomach troubles, had decided never to play cricket there again, however the opportunity to make history was too strong a lure to pass up. He duly captured the record, and his 374th test wicket, in the first test of the series. In the second test a 10 wicket haul helped New Zealand to a rare test win in India, however the series was eventually lost 2-1.
In a home series against India in 1989/90, Hadlee become the first bowler in history to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer. He has a batting average of 37.14 in his 37 Tests between 1987/88 and 1996/97, as opposed to an overall first-class average of 55...
in the second innings of the first test. Shortly after helping New Zealand to another test victory over Australia at Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
by taking his 100th first class 5 wicket haul in an innings, Hadlee announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming tour to England.
Shortly before the second test of the series in England
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1990
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1990 season to play a three-match Test series against England.England won the series 1-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Trent Bridge — match drawn* at Lord's — match drawn...
at Lords
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, it was announced that Hadlee was to be knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
for his services to cricket. Hadlee did not have his knighthood conferred on him while still a test cricketer: Though the honour was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 16 June 1990, it was only conferred on 4 October 1990, some months after his last test match on 10 July 1990. (Lt.-Col. Sir Maharajkumar Dr. Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju (better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju , better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy, was an Indian cricketer, cricket administrator and politician.- Childhood :...
or Vizzy) is the only person to have a knighthood conferred on him for services to cricket while an active test cricketer, in 1936. Unlike Hadlee however, Vizzy's knighthood was conferred for his administrative efforts, not his services to cricket as a player.) Hadlee celebrated the achievement by scoring 86 in New Zealand's first innings and winning the man of the match award. In the final test of the series, Hadlee ended his test career by taking 5 wickets in his final bowling performance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
Nottinghamshire career
For Nottinghamshire, on often overgrassed Trent BridgeTrent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
pitches, he gained some analyses that are remarkable in an era of covered pitches, notably his eight for 22 against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in 1984. He represented Nottinghamshire between 1978 and 1987, but played only three full seasons due to injuries and Test calls. However, his bowling figures for those three seasons were quite remarkable:
- 1981: 4252 balls, 231 maidens, 1564 runs, 105 wickets for 14.89 each.
- 1984: 4634 balls, 248 maidens, 1645 runs, 117 wickets for 14.05 each.
- 1987: 3408 balls, 186 maidens, 1154 runs, 97 wickets for 11.89 each (the lowest average since 1969).
In the 1984 county season, Hadlee completed a feat rare in the modern age by doing the county 'double
Double (cricket)
A cricketer is said to achieve the double if he scores a thousand or more runs and also takes a hundred or more wickets in first-class matches during the course of a single season. The feat is extremely rare outside England because of the smaller number of first-class matches played in most other...
' - scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season. Hadlee, and his immediate successor at Nottinghamshire Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn Stephenson
Franklyn DaCosta Stephenson, born at Saint James, Barbados on 8 April 1959, is a former cricketer who had a first-class career for teams in four continents...
, are the only two players to achieve this feat in English county cricket since the number of county games per season was reduced in 1969. The runs component of the double included Hadlee's highest first class score, 210* in a victory over Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Canterbury career
Because of seasonal differences, Hadlee also played provincial cricket in New Zealand, representing Canterbury.The north stand of AMI Stadium is named the Hadlee stand after both Richard Hadlee and other members of the Hadlee family who have made contributions to Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in cricket is an annual ODI series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries, the Chappell brothers of Australia and Walter Hadlee and his three sons, , of New Zealand.The trophy is currently held by...
in which New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches, is named after the Chappell family of Australia and the Hadlee family of New Zealand.
Hadlee was also a competent association football player, playing for southern league team Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers A.F.C.
Rangers AFC is one of the oldest still existing Canterbury football clubs located in Christchurch, New Zealand.- History :Rangers AFC was founded in 1910 by a group of dedicated players who were denied the opportunity to play on Saturday owing to the nature of their employment...
in Christchurch.
Sporting Awards
Hadlee has received many awards throughout his career, including:- Appointed MBE for services to New Zealand sport in 1981.
- Awarded a Knighthood for services to cricket in 1990.
- Winner of the Windsor Cup on 13 occasions, including 12 consecutive years, for the most meritorious bowling performance of the season.
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1980
- New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1986
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the last 25 years 1987 (shared with runner, John Walker)
- New Zealand Sportsperson of the Decade 1987
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of FameICC Cricket Hall of FameThe ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers'...
in 2009 - Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Nottingham University.
He also came 12th Best Cricketer of all time in ESPN Legends Of Cricket.
Bowling style
Hadlee was a right-arm pace bowler. Initially extremely fast, as the years progressed he gained accuracy, movement off the wicket and in the air, and a reputation that probably gained him quite a few wickets on its own. Perhaps his most potent delivery was the often unplayable outswingerOutswinger
An outswinger is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is bowled by swing bowlers.An outswinger is bowled by holding the cricket ball with the seam at an angle and the first two fingers running along either side of the seam...
, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modelled his bowling action on the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
, whom he regarded as his bowling role model. It was common for Hadlee to think about how to dismiss batsmen by wondering 'what would Lillee do?'.
His economical action was notable for his close approach to the wicket at the bowler's end (to the point where he occasionally knocked the bails
Bail (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to determine when the wicket is broken, which in turn is one of the critical factors in determining whether a batsman is out bowled, stumped, run out or hit wicket...
off in his approach), a line which meant he was able to trap many batsmen leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
. He broke the Test-wicket taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988. His 400th Test wicket was claimed on 4 February 1990, and with his last Test delivery, on 9 July 1990, he dismissed Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm
Devon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
for a duck.
Batting style
Hadlee was an aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman. Though his record wasn't as strong against top international bowlers, he was effective at punishing lesser attacks. He finished his career scoring 15 Test fifties and two Test centuries, and so much so that for Nottinghamshire in 1984, 1986 and 1987 he averaged over 50 (only W.G. Grace and George Herbert HirstGeorge Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice...
have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust
In August 1990, Hadlee established The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust. It was opened to help sportsmen and women who were in situations of hardship to strive for success in their chosen sporting or cultural discipline. The criteria for the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust are: the applicant must be under the age of 25, the applicant must be from the region of Canterbury New Zealand, the request for assistance is specifically for sporting or cultural purposes and applicant is disadvantaged, facing hardship or has special circumstances which prevent him or her from pursuing his or her sporting or cultural endeavors. The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust relies on the generosity of the community, as well as its corporate sponsors; CTV, Lion Nathan, News Talk ZB, Pernod Ricard, Pope Print, PR South and Vbase.Mental health
Due to the enormous stress Hadlee was under, in 1983 he experienced mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems. This was due to his international cricket career, many public speaking engagements (up to 12 a week) and his responsibilities to the New Zealand Cricket Council coaching committee (Hadlee was required to do three weeks of fast bowling tuition).
With the close support of his family, Hadlee cancelled all his appointments for two weeks, and took a holiday to Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, where he ran into his great cricketing rival Dennis Lillee. The two talked about the pressures of international cricket, and in particular, carrying the hopes of their respective nations. After ten days of peace and quiet, Hadlee returned to New Zealand and had sessions with motivational expert Grahame Felton. After a week with Felton, Hadlee felt he was making great progress. Hadlee returned to domestic cricket, scoring 90 runs and taking four wickets in his first match back. After this positive result he told the cricket council that he would be available for the up-coming England series, in which he did well. In the 4 innings Hadlee scored 144 runs with a high score of 99. Hadlee bowled 232 overs, with 65 maidens and took 21 wickets.
External links
| Richard Hadlee's Achievements |
|---|