Though a designated all-rounder, New Zealand cricketing legend Richard Hadlee enjoyed a glorious run with the ball in hand and was perhaps better known for his bowling exploits.
By the time, he retired from international cricket at the age of 39, Hadlee had gone well past the 400-wicket mark in Test cricket and found himself among the top pacers in the history of the sport. The New Zealand bowler was known for his great expertise to produce damage with the new ball and became a name of terror for many a legendary batter.
Having begun his international cricketing journey in 1973 against Pakistan, the right-arm quick played 86 Tests and 115 One-Day Internationals in a career spanning 17 years. He became the first player in the history of the game to breach the 400-wicket barrier in Tests, finishing with a tally of 431. Hadlee also picked up a total of 158 wickets in ODIs. His finest spell came in 1985 in Brisbane as he bagged 15 wickets in two innings and smashed a half-century, helping New Zealand register their first series win against Australia.
On the occasion of his 71st birthday, let’s take a look at some of Hadlee's best performances of all time:
15/123 runs against Australia in Brisbane (1985): In the opening match of the Trans-Tasman Trophy between Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane, Hadlee's fiery spell helped bundle out the hosts for just 179 in the first innings. He scythed through the Aussie batting lineup and got 9 wickets to his name. In reply, New Zealand posted a mammoth 553 runs on the board riding on Hadlee’s 54 off 45 deliveries and centuries from John Reid and Martin Crowe. While Australia was trailing by 374 runs in the second innings, Hadlee again shone with the ball and picked up 6 wickets, ending the match with 15 wickets under his belt. He was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional all-round performance.
11/58 runs against India in Wellington (1976): When Bishen Singh Bedi-led India faced the Kiwis in the final Test of the three-match away series in 1976, the Indian batters faced a dangerous version of Hadlee. In the first innings, he scalped 4 wickets to restrict the visitors to 220. In response, New Zealand made 334, collecting a healthy 114-run lead. While India had just started to settle at the crease, Hadlee’s 7-wicket-haul brought them to their knees as they were bundled out for a paltry 81. Following the destruction, the hosts levelled the series by winning the match by an innings and 33 runs.
10/100 runs against England in Wellington (1978): It was the first game of England’s tour of New Zealand when Hadlee demolished the English batting lineup with exceptional swing. While defending a 228-run lead in the first innings, Hadlee's four wickets for 74 runs restrict England to 215. In the second innings, the Kiwis failed to produce anything significant and added 123 runs to the score sheet. In reply, Hadlee ripped through the English batting unit and added 6 wickets to his name. Powered by the astonishing spell, New Zealand secured an unpredictable 72-run win.
11/102 runs against West Indies in Dunedin (1980): In 1980, when New Zealand faced mighty West Indies in the opening match of the home series, Hadlee singlehandedly destroyed the fancy Caribbean brigade with a five-wicket haul in the first innings. He also contributed with the bat smashing a crucial 51 runs helping his side to reach 249 in the first innings. The second innings brought more joy for Hadlee as he got 6 wickets for 64 runs and also played a crucial knock in the chase. Following Hadlee’s commendable all-round performance, the Kiwis clinched victory by one wicket.
11/155 against Australia at the Perth (1985): It was the deciding test against Allan Border’s Australia in the Trans-Tasman Trophy and Hadlee turned out to be the hero for the Kiwis. His five wickets in the first innings bundled Australia out for 203. In the second innings, Hadlee took 6 wickets for 90 runs and the hosts only managed to set a 164-run target for New Zealand, who brought the target down quite comfortably and won the series 2-1. Hadlee was named the Player of the Tournament for scalping a total of 33 wickets at an average of 12.15 during the campaign.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/XPzWGfQ
No comments:
Post a Comment