Richard Hadlee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Richard Hadlee

Hadlee in March 2011
Personal information
Full name	Richard John Hadlee
Born	(1951-07-03) 3 July 1951 (age 73) St Albans, New Zealand
Nickname	Paddles, Sir Paddles
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	All-rounder
Relations	Walter Hadlee (father) Barry Hadlee (brother) Dayle Hadlee (brother)
International information
National side	New Zealand (1973–1990)
Test debut (cap 123)	2 February 1973 v Pakistan
Last Test	5 July 1990 v England
ODI debut (cap 6)	11 February 1973 v Pakistan
Last ODI	25 May 1990 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1971/72–1988/89	Canterbury
1978–1987	Nottinghamshire
1979/80	Tasmania
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 86 115 342 318 Runs scored 3,124 1,751 12,052 5,241 Batting average 27.16 21.61 31.71 24.37 100s/50s 2/15 0/4 14/59 1/16 Top score 151* 79 210* 100* Balls bowled 21,918 6,182 67,518 16,188 Wickets 431 158 1,490 454 Bowling average 22.29 21.56 18.11 18.83 5 wickets in innings 36 5 102 8 10 wickets in match 9 0 18 0 Best bowling 9/52 5/25 9/52 6/12 Catches/stumpings 39/– 27/– 198/– 100/–
Source: CricInfo, 1 September 2007

Sir Richard John Hadlee (born 3 July 1951) is a famous New Zealand cricketer who has now retired. Many people believe he is one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. He was also one of the very best fast bowlers.

Richard Hadlee was given an award called the MBE in 1980. He was also made a knight in 1990 for his amazing contributions to cricket. He used to be the head of the New Zealand cricket team selectors. In 2002, a famous cricket book called Wisden named him the second greatest Test bowler ever. In 2009, a bronze statue of him was put up in Christchurch Arts Centre as one of the "Twelve Local Heroes."

On 3 April 2009, Hadlee was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He comes from a well-known cricket family, with several members playing for New Zealand.

About Richard Hadlee's Life

Richard Hadlee was born on 3 July 1951 in St Albans, New Zealand, which is part of Christchurch. His father, Walter Hadlee, and two of his brothers, Dayle and Barry, all played cricket for New Zealand. Even his former wife, Karen, played international cricket for New Zealand.

After he stopped playing cricket, Hadlee had heart surgery in 1991 for a condition he had since birth. He continues to live an active life and works with the Heart Foundation. In 2018, he had surgery for bowel cancer.

Richard Hadlee's Test Cricket Career

Hadlee and the New Zealand Team after their first win Against England in 1978.

Richard Hadlee was a bowling all-rounder. This means he was good at both bowling and batting. In his 86 Test matches, he took 431 wickets. At that time, this was a world record, and he was the first bowler to reach 400 wickets. His bowling average was 22.29, which is excellent. He also scored 3,124 runs in Tests, with an average of 27.16. This included two centuries (scoring 100 runs or more) and 15 fifties (scoring 50 runs or more).

Many cricket experts believe Hadlee was the best at bowling with a new ball. He was known for making the ball swing in the air, earning him the nickname "Sultan of Swing." He was considered one of the best fast bowlers of his time, even with other great bowlers playing then.

Hadlee was one of the four top all-rounders of his era, along with Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Ian Botham. He had the best bowling average among them.

Early Career and Breakthroughs

Hadlee started playing first-class cricket for Canterbury in 1971. He made his Test debut in 1973. For a few years, his performance was not always consistent. However, in 1976, he had a breakthrough game against India. He took 11 wickets in that match, helping New Zealand win and securing his place in the team.

In 1978, Hadlee played a key role in New Zealand's first-ever Test win against England. He took 6 wickets for only 26 runs in England's second innings. This helped New Zealand bowl England out for just 64 runs.

Record-Breaking Performances

In 1979/80, New Zealand played against the powerful West Indies. In the first Test, Hadlee took 11 wickets, helping New Zealand achieve a surprising one-wicket win. In the second Test, he scored his first Test century, which helped New Zealand draw the match and win the series 1–0. This victory started a 12-year period where New Zealand did not lose a home Test series.

In 1983, New Zealand won their first Test match on English soil at Headingley. Hadlee took his 200th Test wicket in the final match of that series. In 1984, he had an amazing all-round performance against England in Christchurch. He took 8 wickets and scored a fast 99 runs. These efforts helped him become the number one Test bowler in the world, a position he held for four years.

Ian Botham batting and Richard Hadlee bowling in 1978.

The 1985/86 season was when Hadlee became truly great. On New Zealand's tour to Australia, he had an outstanding performance in the first Test in Brisbane. He took a personal best of 9 wickets for 52 runs in Australia's first innings. He also scored 54 runs and took 6 more wickets, helping New Zealand win by an innings. He took 33 wickets in just 3 Tests, leading New Zealand to their first series win in Australia. In the next series in New Zealand, he took his 300th Test wicket.

In 1986, Hadlee helped New Zealand win a series in England for the first time. In the second Test at Nottingham, he took 10 wickets and scored 68 runs, leading his team to victory.

Reaching New Heights

In 1987, Hadlee scored his second Test century in Sri Lanka, scoring 151 not out. This helped New Zealand save the game.

In 1987/88, Hadlee again showed his competitive spirit against Australia. In the third Test, he took 10 wickets and almost led New Zealand to a series-tying victory. He nearly broke the world record for most Test wickets in that match.

After recovering from an injury, Hadlee finally broke the Test wicket world record in India in 1988, taking his 374th Test wicket. In the second Test, he took 10 wickets, helping New Zealand win a rare Test match in India.

In 1989/90, Hadlee made history again in a home series against India. He became the first bowler ever to take 400 Test wickets when he dismissed Sanjay Manjrekar in Christchurch.

Retirement and Legacy

Before his last Test series in England in 1990, Hadlee was knighted for his services to cricket. He became Sir Richard. He celebrated by scoring 86 runs and winning the man of the match award. In his final Test match, Hadlee ended his career by taking 5 wickets in his last bowling performance. He even took a wicket with the very last ball of his Test career.

His father, Walter Hadlee, was asked to pick the five greatest cricketers of the 20th century for Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. He included Richard, saying his Test performance put him ahead of other great bowlers.

Playing for Nottinghamshire

Richard Hadlee played for Nottinghamshire in England between 1978 and 1987. He had some amazing bowling performances there, especially on pitches that helped bowlers. For example, he took eight wickets for only 22 runs against Surrey in 1984.

He played three full seasons for Nottinghamshire, and his bowling figures were outstanding:

• 1981: 105 wickets for an average of 14.89 runs per wicket.
• 1984: 117 wickets for an average of 14.05 runs per wicket.
• 1987: 97 wickets for an average of 11.89 runs per wicket.

In these three seasons, his fellow players voted him the PCA Player of the Year.

In 1984, Hadlee achieved a rare feat called the county 'double'. This means he scored 1,000 runs and took 100 wickets in the same season. He is one of only two players to do this in English county cricket since 1969. His highest first-class score of 210 not out was part of this achievement. In 1987, Nottinghamshire won the County Championship, and Hadlee's contributions with both bat and ball were huge.

Playing for Canterbury

Because cricket seasons are different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, Hadlee also played for his home province, Canterbury, in New Zealand.

The north stand of the AMI Stadium in Christchurch was named the Hadlee stand. This was to honor Richard Hadlee and other members of his family who have helped Canterbury and New Zealand cricket. The Chappell–Hadlee Trophy, which New Zealand and Australia compete for in one-day matches, is named after the Hadlee family and the Chappell family of Australia.

Hadlee was also a good association football (soccer) player, playing for Rangers A.F.C. in Christchurch.

Richard Hadlee's Bowling Style

Richard Hadlee bowling with Ian Botham at the non-striker's end in 1978.

Hadlee was a right-arm pace bowler. When he was young, he was extremely fast. As he got older, he shortened his run-up, which made him more accurate. He also became very good at making the ball move off the pitch and in the air. His most effective delivery was the outswinger, which became his main weapon later in his career.

He learned a lot from Dennis Lillee, another famous fast bowler. Hadlee saw Lillee as the perfect example of a fast bowler. He admired Lillee's strength, fitness, confidence, and skill. Hadlee would often ask himself what Lillee would do in tough game situations.

Hadlee's bowling action was very efficient. He would get very close to the stumps at his end of the pitch. This helped him trap many batsmen leg before wicket (LBW). He broke the Test wicket-taking record with his 374th wicket on 12 November 1988 in India. He took his 400th Test wicket on 4 February 1990. In his very last Test delivery on 9 July 1990, he took a wicket, dismissing Devon Malcolm.

Richard Hadlee's Batting Style

Hadlee was an aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman. While he wasn't always as strong against the very best international bowlers, he was very good at scoring runs against less experienced attacks. He finished his career with 15 Test fifties and two Test centuries. For Nottinghamshire in 1984, 1986, and 1987, he averaged over 50 runs per innings. Only W.G. Grace and George Herbert Hirst have come close to leading both batting and bowling averages in a season like he did.

The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust

A bust of Hadlee at the Twelve Local Heroes display in Christchurch.

In August 1990, Richard Hadlee started The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust. This trust helps young sportspeople and artists who are facing difficulties. It helps them achieve success in their chosen sport or art form. To get help from the trust, an applicant must be under 25 years old and from the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The request must be for sports or cultural purposes, and the applicant must be facing hardship or special circumstances that prevent them from pursuing their goals. The trust relies on donations from the community and its sponsors.

Richard Hadlee's International Records and Awards

• Hadlee was the first player to achieve the "double" of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets in One Day International (ODI) cricket.
• He was the second fastest bowler to take five-wicket hauls in 25 Test matches. He was the fastest fast bowler to do this, reaching it in 62 matches.
• He took a total of 36 five-wicket hauls in Test matches and five in ODIs. His 36 Test five-wicket hauls were a record when he retired.
• He had the best single innings bowling figures by any fast bowler in the 20th century. He took 9 wickets for 52 runs in the first Test against Australia in 1985.

Sporting Awards

Hadlee received many awards during his career, including:

• Appointed MBE for services to New Zealand sport in 1980.
• Awarded a Knighthood for services to cricket in 1990.
• Winner of the Windsor Cup 13 times for the best bowling performance of the season.
• New Zealand Sportsman of the Year in 1980 and 1986.
• Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1982.
• New Zealand Sportsperson of the last 25 years in 1987 (shared with runner John Walker).
• New Zealand Sportsperson of the Decade in 1987.
• Bert Sutcliffe Medal in 2008.
• Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
• Inducted into the NZC Hall of Fame in 2024 as one of the First XI.

Images for kids

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  Hadlee in March 2011