Sir Richard Hadlee Kt. Bach. M.B.E. Hon. DLitt

"The Master of Rhythm and Swing". 

"Richard Hadlee was a left handed batsman who liked to hit the ball very hard. He was an accurate right arm swing and seam bowler with a good technique and fluent action, with an economic approach to the crease. He was the master of rhythm and swing."

Sir Donald Bradman

Nickname:
"Paddles" - a name which was first given to me at Heaton Street Intermediate school, Christchurch, because of my large feet.

Born:
July 3, 1951, in St Albans, Christchurch New Zealand.

Education:
Elmwood Primary School
Fendalton Primary School
Heaton Street Intermediate School
Christchurch Boys' High School
School Certificate 1968
University Entrance 1969 

Cricket Career:
Canterbury 1971 - 1990.
Tasmania 1979 - 1980.
Nottinghamshire 1978 - 1987.
New Zealand 1972 - 1990.

Hobbies:
Playing golf, watching movies, watching sport, gardening. 

Current Roles:

  1. International After Dinner Speaker (Anecdotal).
  2. Conference and seminar speaker (Motivational).
  3. Supporting public charities: Help promote 'Prostate Cancer Awareness Week' during 'Blue' September month (2008-2012); Glaucoma NZ 2015- , Heart Foundation 2017 -
  4. Patron of the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust (1990 -) - supporting young Canterbury sportspeople who are in hardship or in need of financial assistance to allow them to follow and achieve their dreams.
  5. Patron of the India New Zealand Business Council - to help promote and develop trade between the two countries (2009-).
  6. Patron of the Kidz Zipper Club - Heart Children New Zealand now called @Heart (1995-)
  7. Patron of the 'Cricket Live Foundation' - supporting disadvantaged kids in Sri Lanka & India to learn life skills through cricket <www.cricketlivefoundation.co.nz>.
  8. Patron of the New Zealand Cricket Museum (2015-)

Former Roles:

  1. Brand Ambassador for Ecoglo <www.ecoglo.com>.
  2. Brand Ambassador for Christchurch International Airport (CIAL).
  3. The Bank of New Zealand's Ambassador (1990 - 2008). Promotional and public relations work including customers and staff, school visits, cricket coaching, appearing at special events and helping to implement the Bank's International cricket sponsorship of NZ Cricket.
  4. NZC Selection Manager from 2000 - 2008 (selected Blackcap and NZ 'A' teams)   
  5. NZC World Cup Project Manager for the 2007 World Cup (West Indies).
  6. Consultant for the APL (The American Premier Cricket League) 2009.
  7. NZC Appointment's Panel to select the General Manager of the Selection Panel 2013.
  8. Ambassador for 'Shelter Box' (Disaster Relief - providing shelter, warmth, comfort and dignity to people displaced by natural or other disasters) <www.shelterbox.org.nz>
  9. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Cricket Ambassador.
  10. Brand Ambassador for Pingar.
  11. New Zealand Cricket Board of Directors Member (2013 - 2017)
Awards and Recognitions:
  • Awarded the M.B.E. for services to New Zealand sport in 1981.
  • Awarded a Knighthood for services to cricket in 1990.
  • New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year 1980 - supreme award.
  • New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year 1986 - supreme award.
  • New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1987. 
  • New Zealand Sportsperson of the last 25 years 1987 (shared with athlete, Sir John Walker).
  • New Zealand Sportsperson of the Decade 1989.
  • Winner of the Winsor Cup on 13 occasions, including 12 consecutive years for the 'Most Meritorious Bowling Performance' of the season.
  • Wisden 'Cricketer of the Year' 1982.
  • The PCA (Professional Cricketer's Association) 'Player of the Year' 1981, 1984, 1987.
  • The Cricket Society Wetherall Award winner 4x times for the 'Leading Allrounder of the Year' in English County cricket 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987.
  • Awarded a 'Benefit' year in 1986 by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
  • Awarded a 'Testimonial' year in 1989/90 by Canterbury Cricket.
  • In December 2002 he was chosen by Wisden as the 2nd greatest test bowler of all time.
  • Became the '12th Best cricketer of All Time' in ESPN's Legends of Cricket.
  • Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the Nottingham University, England, 2008.
  • Awarded the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Services to New Zealand Cricket in 2008.
  • In March 2009 he was commemorated as one of the twelve 'Local Heroes of Canterbury' and a bronze bust of him was unveiled at the Christchurch Arts Centre.
  • Inducted into the ICC/FICA World Cricket Hall of Fame in April 2009.
  • Awarded the 'Altiora Peto' Medal from the High School Old Boys Association (Christchurch Boys High School) in 2009.
  • Inducted to Life Membership of New Zealand Cricket in 2010.
  • Inducted as a 'Canterbury Sporting Legend' in 2010.
  • Became a 'Bradman Honouree' at the Bradman Gala Dinner in 2011. Also inducted into the International Cricket  Hall of Fame (as one of the legends of the game) at the Bradman Museum in Bowral, Australia.
  • NZ Cricket named 'The Supreme Cricketer of the Year Award' as 'The Sir Richard Hadlee Medal' in 2011 (this award compares with 'The Allan Border Medal' as the Supreme Award for Australian cricketers).
  • 'Brand Laureate Legendary Award 2015' from the Asia Pacific Brand's Foundation for services to sport and 'being an excellent role model'.

Career Achievements - 1972/3-1990:

Test Matches:

  • Played 86 Test matches and 115 one-day internationals.
  • Captured 431 Test wickets (a world record until Kapil Dev of India went beyond)
  • Test Bowling Average, 22.29.
  • Best bowling performance of 9 for 52 against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane, Australia in 1985-86.
  • World record 10 wickets in a match - 9 times.
  • World record 5 wickets in a Test innings - 36 times.
  • Became the first bowler in Test history to capture 400 test wickets. This was achieved at Lancaster Park (Sir Richard's home ground), on 4th February 1990.
  • Became the first player in Test history to achieve the double - capturing 400 wickets and scoring 3000 runs.
  • Played against all the Test playing nations during his career and played in 22 Test winning teams - Australia, England, West Indies, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
  • Played in New Zealand's first test wins over Australia (in Christchurch 1974), England (in Wellington 1978) and Sri Lanka (Christchurch 1982/3).
  • Played in New Zealand's first test wins against Australia in Australia (Brisbane 1985/6), in England (Leeds 1983) and in Sri Lanka (Kandy 1984).
  • Played in New Zealand's first series wins in Australia (2/1 in 1985/6), in England (1/0 in 1986) and in Sri Lanka (2/0 in 1984).
  • In Test history has the best bowling average in Test wins for bowlers who have captured more than 100 wickets - 173 wickets an average of 13 runs per wicket and a wicket every 33 balls bowled.
  • In Test history has the best bowling average in Test wins at home - 109 wickets at an average of 13.95 runs per wicket and a wicket every 34.9 balls bowled.
  • Took a New Zealand record 33 wickets in a Test series v Australia in 1985-86, including 9-52 (15 wickets in the match) and caught the other batsman out, to feature on the scorecard 10 x in an innings in the Test at the Gabba.
  • In Test matches played (86) took 36% of the team's total wickets captured.
  • In 1984 at Christchurch, scored 99 against the Englishmen and captured 8 wickets in the match. The "Poms" could not reach a 100 in either innings and New Zealand won the test in 12 hours and one minute of play.
  • Test runs - 3124 including 2 centuries with a highest Test score of 151* v Sri Lanka at Colombo in 1987.
  • Catches in Tests - 38.

First Class Matches:

  • Wickets in all first class matches - 1490 at an average of 18.11.
  • On 102 occasions took 5 or more wickets in an innings.
  • On five occasions topped the first class bowling averages during 10 seasons of English county cricket.
  • First class runs - 12,052 runs at an average of 31.17.
  • Highest first class score - 210 not out against Middlesex at Lords in 1984.
  • In 1984 completed the rare feat of achieving the English County Double of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the same season (1179 runs at an average of 51.26 and 117 wickets at an average of 14.06).
  • In 1987 took 97 wickets and scored in excess of 1000 runs during the season.
  • For Nottinghamshire in English county cricket (1978-1987) scored 5854 runs at an average of 38.76 (with 11 centuries and a double century) and captured 622 wickets at an average of 14.51 (with a best bowling performance of 8-41, 38 x 5 wickets in an innings and 5 times 10 wickets in a match).

General:

  • At 56 years of age played in the NZ Cricket Beach team which defeated England in the final - Australia 2008.
  • Appeared in the comedy movie 'Save Your Legs' in a cameo role as an umpire. An Australian production where a group of friends embark on a cricket tour of India.