Name:

Hadlee, Sir Richard J

Nickname:

Paddles

Date of Birth:

03-07-1951

Place of Birth:

Christchurch

Career:

Test: 1973 - 1990
ODI: 1973 - 1990
First Class: 1971 - 1990

Teams:

New Zealand (Country)
Nottinghamshire (Regional)

Who is the greatest: Botham vs Hadlee

Sir Richard Hadlee: Best Kiwi cricketer of all time, champion allrounder

Born : 3 July 1951 at St Albans, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Richard Hadlee was New Zealand's best all-rounder. One of the finest exponents of fast-medium bowling the game has seen he became Test cricket's leading wicket-taker. He became particularly successful when he shortened his run-up and concentrated on impeccable control.

Hadlee’s stock ball was a leg-cutter – delivered from close to the stumps to land close to the stumps, on a length and on the seam.

His father, Walter Hadlee, led the first NZ team to England in 1949 and his brother, Dayle, also played Test cricket for NZ.

Hadlee took a hat-trick on his debut first-class appearance in 1971, then made his debut for New Zealand in 1973.

Hadlee's Test wickets came at a rate of more than five per Test. His best bowling was in the Test against Australia at Brisbane in 1985 when he took 15-123 in the match including 9-52 in the first innings. He was also a hard-hitting batsman and one of the few men to complete the double of 3 000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests.

Hadlee is one of the four players to have taken 400 Test wickets and scored over 3,000 runs. He was the first man to achieve the milestone. 

Playing for Nottinghamshire in 1984 he completed a carefully planned and well executed double of 1 000 runs and 100 wickets in the first-class season. He was knighted shortly before his final Test match in 1990.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter