[Cricket] Sir Richard Hadlee.

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Leekbrookgull

Leekbrookgull

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Jul 14, 2005
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Leek
As much as i like cricket 🏏 and been to so many games (like many) but have you ever seen Sir Richard Hadlee play and if so just your opinion.
 








dazzer6666

dazzer6666

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Mar 27, 2013
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Burgess Hill
Leekbrookgull said:
As much as i like cricket 🏏 and been to so many games (like many) but have you ever seen Sir Richard Hadlee play and if so just your opinion.
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Couple of times in county cricket but followed him quite closely as his career coincided with my ‘cricket mad’ years. Absolutely outstanding bowler, particularly with the new ball. The period was blessed with world-class allrounders with him, Botham, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan. He always seemed the most consistent bowler of that group - his bowling always seemed to be bang on the money.
 






S

Seagull over Canaryland

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Feb 8, 2011
3,570
Norfolk
Hadlee was clinical, able to sustain that nagging line and length, with subtle but lethal movement. Not a speedster but sharp enough to cause problems for the best batters. Decent with the bat too.

Anecdote / pub quiz question: Saw Hadlee bowling for NZ at Lords when he injured England's Bruce French (also his fellow County player at Notts CCC) who then had to be substituted by Bob Taylor - who'd actually retired from cricket and was doing hospitality duties but NZ allowed him stand in. England had 4 different keepers in that Test match: French, Bill Athey (briefly), then Taylor & finally Bobby Parks. It was a completely unmemorable game but for that.
 


G

Gwylan

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Jul 5, 2003
32,133
Uffern
Terrific bowler, I'd place him second to Marshall in all the bowlers I've seen and I've seen a lot of great ones in the last 60 years.

I sat a few seats away from him at the 1999 World Cup final and he was an engaging character, enjoying some banter with the people around him
 






T

The Mole

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Feb 20, 2004
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Bowdon actually , Cheshire
as a member of Notts from 1984 to 1982, I have many great memories of him. A wonderful bowler who would set up batsmen beautifull. When he cut down his run up he seemed to gain more control without losing any pace. His run up was shorter than the distance Bruce French would stand back.
in addition, he was a very useful batsman. One of my favourite cricketer.
 


Eeyore

Eeyore

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Seagull over Canaryland said:
Hadlee was clinical, able to sustain that nagging line and length, with subtle but lethal movement. Not a speedster but sharp enough to cause problems for the best batters. Decent with the bat too.

Anecdote / pub quiz question: Saw Hadlee bowling for NZ at Lords when he injured England's Bruce French (also his fellow County player at Notts CCC) who then had to be substituted by Bob Taylor - who'd actually retired from cricket and was doing hospitality duties but NZ allowed him stand in. England had 4 different keepers in that Test match: French, Bill Athey (briefly), then Taylor & finally Bobby Parks. It was a completely unmemorable game but for that.
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A very forgettable series too. I think it may have been NZ first series win over here.

I do hope that when starting random threads about 70+ cricketers folk would put something in the title to indicate it isn't an RIP. Hadlee is a, thankfully, living legend.

I don't remember seeing him play on ground, although I probably did during the 1982 season. One of the greatest seam bowlers in history who carried the New Zealand team for long periods. Handy with the bat at times too.

Being a Sussex devotee, I will always gripe about the Trent Bridge green tops that he and Clive Rice enjoyed. Especially in the season that Sussex missed out by 2 points. Those two didn't need helpful surfaces.

You can imagine the money that average unknowns make in cricket these days. Hadlee wouldn't have been able to retire after playing. I think of someone like Jofra Archer who could probably retire after not playing very much.
 


Eeyore

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The Mole said:
as a member of Notts from 1984 to 1982, I have many great memories of him. A wonderful bowler who would set up batsmen beautifull. When he cut down his run up he seemed to gain more control without losing any pace. His run up was shorter than the distance Bruce French would stand back.
in addition, he was a very useful batsman. One of my favourite cricketer.
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I'm glad you enjoyed your membership there when your life was clearly going backwards.
 




Leekbrookgull

Leekbrookgull

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Jul 14, 2005
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Leek
You have to ask as a raw youngster with pace much going everywhere, Nottinghamshire and with Clive Rice the played the wicket and the weather, control the ball rather than pace. Like wine he matured and respected.
 


S

Seagull over Canaryland

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Feb 8, 2011
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Norfolk
Eeyore said:
A very forgettable series too. I think it may have been NZ first series win over here.

I do hope that when starting random threads about 70+ cricketers folk would put something in the title to indicate it isn't an RIP. Hadlee is a, thankfully, living legend.

I don't remember seeing him play on ground, although I probably did during the 1982 season. One of the greatest seam bowlers in history who carried the New Zealand team for long periods. Handy with the bat at times too.

Being a Sussex devotee, I will always gripe about the Trent Bridge green tops that he and Clive Rice enjoyed. Especially in the season that Sussex missed out by 2 points. Those two didn't need helpful surfaces.

You can imagine the money that average unknowns make in cricket these days. Hadlee wouldn't have been able to retire after playing. I think of someone like Jofra Archer who could probably retire after not playing very much.
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My first reaction was 'Oh no, not RIP...'

Secondly, like you, it reminded me what a gift that Notts pitch was - plus it's proximity to the River, to give the atmosphere added juice. Hadlee and Rice would cause havoc among visiting batsmen.
 


DJ NOBO

DJ NOBO

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Jul 18, 2004
7,365
Wiltshire
I ran onto to the Hove outfield to get his autograph In the 1980s.
Botham / Kapil Dev / Imran / Hadlee
Take your pick. (Mine? Imran).
Golden times.
 
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Sid and the Sharknados

Sid and the Sharknados

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Sep 4, 2022
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Eeyore said:
A very forgettable series too. I think it may have been NZ first series win over here.
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I'd guess highly memorable for the New Zealand players then.
Eeyore said:
You can imagine the money that average unknowns make in cricket these days. Hadlee wouldn't have been able to retire after playing. I think of someone like Jofra Archer who could probably retire after not playing very much.
Click to expand...
To be fair to Archer, I'd guess the time he's spent in rehab will have been significantly less fun than the time Hadlee spent taking wickets. It's certainly preferable to the days pre-Packer when half the Australian team would get home to find they'd lost their jobs.

I've been reading Jon Snow's autobiography recently, it's pretty uncompromising on this sort of thing.
 








S

Seagull over Canaryland

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2011
3,570
Norfolk
DJ NOBO said:
I ran onto to the Hove outfield to get his autograph In the 1980s.
Botham / Kapil Dev / Imran / Hadlee
Take your pick.
Golden times.
Click to expand...
Fabulous bowlers - and all-rounders. Probably Hadlee would have the edge - for his consistency?

Slight bias towards Imran for his Sussex connection. Such an elegant action, when he was in the mood. Almost feline grace. Loved watching his action at close quarters, even when he was only warming up in front of the pavilion at Hove, wondering what it would be like to face a few of his deliveries. But maybe not the devastating toe-crushing & in swinging yorker that he developed later in his career...

Hadlee and Kapil Dev had more economical actions, Efficient and effective.

My three favourite fast bowling actions: Imran Khan, Michael Holding and Jeff Thomson. Was lucky to see all of them play.
 


Eeyore

Eeyore

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Sid and the Sharknados said:
I'd guess highly memorable for the New Zealand players then.

To be fair to Archer, I'd guess the time he's spent in rehab will have been significantly less fun than the time Hadlee spent taking wickets. It's certainly preferable to the days pre-Packer when half the Australian team would get home to find they'd lost their jobs.

I've been reading Jon Snow's autobiography recently, it's pretty uncompromising on this sort of thing.
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It is absurd nowadays though. Players making hundreds of thousands for playing a few weeks in a mickey mouse 20 over bash. But if it's what the market dictates. The main point there is that it's still only a small percentage who actually achieve that. The average county cricketer I suspect still wonders what happens when they hang their boots.
 


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