Top 5 bowling performances by Sir Richard Hadlee in Test cricket
Sir Richard Hadlee is considered to be one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the game and perhaps the greatest all-rounder produced by New Zealand. Predominantly a bowling all-rounder, Hadlee was part of the legendary quartet of all-rounders including Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and Sir Ian Botham that mesmerized the spectators through their all-round cricket.
In an international career lasting 17 years, Hadlee took 431 test wickets which is the highest for a New Zealander and at one time was the highest in the world at an average of 22.29 and 158 ODI wickets at an average of 21.56. He also played a number of brilliant knocks with the bat, scoring 3124 test runs at an average of 27.16 and 1751 ODI runs at an average of 21.61. Hadlee entertained the spectators with a number of brilliant performances for New Zealand throughout his playing career and here is a list of five of his best bowling performances in Test cricket.
#5 11-155 vs Australia at Perth, 1985
It was the third test of the Trans-Tasman trophy between Australia and New Zealand and both the hosts and the visitors had everything to play for. The series was tied at 1-1 after New Zealand won the opening test and Australia won the second test. New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney won the toss and put Allan Border’s Australian side to bat first. The New Zealand bowling spearheaded by Richard Hadlee who had already taken 22 wickets in the series did not allow the Australian batsmen to stand in the crease for too long and bowled the hosts out for 203. Hadlee returned with figures of 5-65 in the first innings, taking the crucial wickets of David Boon and captain Allan Border.
The visitors scored 299 in their first innings thanks to centuries from Martin Crowe and Bruce Edgar and managed to get a lead of 96 runs. Australia had a very poor start to their second innings, losing both their openers with only 28 runs on the scoreboard. Then David Boon and Allan Border began to build a partnership to stabilize the innings. Both batsmen put up a partnership of 81 and were gradually putting pressure on the opposition’s bowling. Just as the partnership began to gain some momentum, Hadlee took center-stage. He dismissed Boon soon after the latter reached his half-century. Soon later, he bowled Border for 83 and this dismissal triggered a collapse. From 195/4, Australia lost their next six wickets for only 64 runs. Hadlee took 6-90 in the second innings, making it 11-155 for the match, his second ten-wicket haul of the series. The Kiwis comfortably chased down the total of 164 in their second innings to clinch the match and the series 2-1. Hadlee was adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance in the match and was also adjudged the Man of the Series for returning figures of 33-401 throughout the series at an average of 12.15 and an economy rate of 2.37.