Leekbrookgull
Well-known member
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.

This. Instrumental in making NZ a force to be reckoned with….Long time ago. One of the greats.
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.As much as i like cricketand been to so many games (like many) but have you ever seen Sir Richard Hadlee play and if so just your opinion.
A very forgettable series too. I think it may have been NZ first series win over here.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.
I'm glad you enjoyed your membership there when your life was clearly going backwards.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.
My first reaction was 'Oh no, not RIP...'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.
I'd guess highly memorable for the New Zealand players then.A very forgettable series too. I think it may have been NZ first series win over here.
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.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.
Hopefully you are correct ? Why waste a ball let alone time and effort.Never bowled a wide in international cricket
I've never bowled a wide in international cricket eitherNever bowled a wide in international cricket
Fabulous bowlers - and all-rounders. Probably Hadlee would have the edge - for his consistency?I ran onto to the Hove outfield to get his autograph In the 1980s.
Botham / Kapil Dev / Imran / Hadlee
Take your pick.
Golden times.
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.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.