Richard Hadlee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 New Zealand (NZ) |
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 |
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| Batting style | Left-handed batsman (LHB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bowling type | Right-arm fast (RF) | |
| Tests | ODIs | |
| Matches | 86 | 115 |
| Runs scored | 3124 | 1751 |
| Batting average | 27.16 | 21.61 |
| 100s/50s | 2/15 | 0/4 |
| Top score | 151* | 79 |
| Overs bowled | 3653 | 1030.2 |
| Wickets | 431 | 158 |
| Bowling average | 22.29 | 21.56 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 36 | 5 |
| 10 wickets in match | 9 | n/a |
| Best bowling | 9/52 | 5/25 |
| Catches/stumpings | 39/0 | 27/0 |
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As of 19 July 2005 |
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Sir Richard John Hadlee MBE (born July 3, 1951) is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played club cricket for Canterbury Cricket Club, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and Tasmania.
He is the son of Walter Hadlee, and the brother of Dayle and Barry Hadlee.
Hadlee was knighted in 1990 for services to cricket, before his playing career had finished. He is currently the chairman of the New Zealand board of selectors. He is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time.
Contents |
[edit] Test Career
A bowling all-rounder, in an 86-Test career he took 431 wickets (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.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, 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 an 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 1980, New Zealand faced the West Indies in a home test series at a time when the West Indies were developing into 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.
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 began 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.
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. Shortly after, 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 political trouble in Sri Lanka.
Hadlee's appetite for competition against Australia surfaced again in 1987, 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 up resting on Australia's last wicket pair surviving the final over bowled by Hadlee, which they were successful in doing. A wicket in that over would have given New Zealand the victory, and Hadlee the world record for test wickets - a record held at the time by England's Ian Botham. In the following home series against England, the New Zealand public eagerly anticipated the wicket which would give Hadlee sole possesion 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.
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 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 1990, 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 had been knighted for his services to cricket - the first person to receive that accolade while still an active player. He 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 peformance, and taking a wicket with the final ball of his test career.
[edit] Nottinghamshire career
For Nottinghamshire, on often overgrassed Trent Bridge 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:
- 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).
[edit] Canterbury career
Because of seasonal differences, Hadlee also played provincial cricket in New Zealand, representing Canterbury. In recognition of his achievements, the north stand of Jade Stadium is named the Hadlee stand[citation needed], and New Zealand and Australia regularly compete in one-day matches for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
[edit] 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 outswinger, which became his main weapon in the latter stages of his career.
Hadlee modeled 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.
[edit] Batting style
His middle-order batting was usually aggressive and enterprising, and, oddly enough, left-handed. Though he often failed badly against top bowlers, he was extremely effective at punishing lesser attacks, enough to score 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 Hirst have come comparably close to heading both batting and bowling averages in a season).
| Bowlers who have taken 400 Test wickets |
|---|
|
Shane Warne (AUS) | Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | Glenn McGrath (AUS) | Anil Kumble (IND) | Courtney Walsh (WI) |
| Cricketers who have achieved the 'All-rounder's Triple' (3000 runs/300 wickets) in Test matches |
|---|
|
Ian Botham 72 Tests | Richard Hadlee 83 Tests | Imran Khan 75 Tests | Kapil Dev 83 Tests |
| Cricketers who have achieved the 'All-rounder's Double' (2000 runs/200 wickets) in Test matches |
|---|
|
Wasim Akram 78 Tests | Richie Benaud 60 Tests | Ian Botham 42 Tests | Chris Cairns 58 Tests |Sir Richard Hadlee 54 Tests |
| Bowlers who have taken 5 wickets in a Test innings 25 times or more |
|---|
|
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | Richard Hadlee (NZ) | Anil Kumble (IND) | Shane Warne (AUS) |
[edit] External links
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