Famous Cricketers No 79 - Richard Hadlee

Biography Richard John Hadlee was born on the 3rd of July 1951 at Christchurch, the fourth of the five sons of Walter and Lilla Hadlee. His parents had met on board the Arawa when his father was sailing to England as a member of the 1937 New Zealand touring team under the captaincy of M.L. (”Curly”) Page. Walter Hadlee, a successful accountant, was not only a very fine cricketer, who captained his country with distinction, but later played a leading role in the administration of the game in New Zealand. He also managed the 1965 New Zealand touring team on their trip around the world: India, Pakistan, England, The Netherlands, Bermuda and Southern California. Cricket dominated events in the Hadlee household and there is a photograph of a four-year-old Richard, bat in hand, on the concrete pitch at the family’s home in Wairarapa Terrace in Christchurch. When he attended Elmwood Primary School, Richard started to take a keen interest in the game and kept records of Plunket Shield games and Test matches around the world. However, on going to Christchurch Boys’ High School, he soon began to make his mark on the field of play. In his first year there he was captain of the school’s top under-14 side and in the following season he appeared for the Third XI. Then in his last three years at Christchurch High, Hadlee played for the First XI and was captain in his final year. He soon became one of the players that the team relied on and he displayed fine all-round form in 1967/68 and again in 1968/69, his last two years in school cricket. Reviewing the 1967/68 season, the Boys’ High School Magazine records that the leading run scorers were J.W.Calder (417 runs at 29.78), Hadlee (398 runs at 30.61) and R.M.McIlroy (375 runs at 25.00) while S.T.Chambers (45 wickets at 12.97) and Hadlee (45 wickets at 15.60) were the chief wicket-takers. Once again, we turn to the Boys’ High School Magazine to show Hadlee’s part in his final season for the First XI. A glance at the averages reveals how much his side depended on the all-round skills of Hadlee and Calder. Between them they scored 1063 runs and took 131 wickets. Hadlee made 569 runs at 28.45 and claimed 64 wickets at 12.92, while Calder scored 494 runs at 27.44 and captured 67 wickets at 12.05. It was during his final year at school that Hadlee was a member of the Canterbury Brabin Shield team and he also played for Canterbury Secondary Schoolboys’ against Alan Davidson’s XI. The great Australian all-rounder included in his side Bert Sutcliffe, Vic Pollard and Bob Cunis, all three having played Test cricket for New Zealand. Before ending this brief account of his cricketing feats at school, it is worth recalling that Hadlee relished the challenge of playing against Auckland Grammar School. On one occasion he had the great satisfaction of dismissing Geoff Howarth, who had a big reputation, but this time managed to make only three. When Richard was at Christchurch High, his father and brothers, Barry, Martin and Dayle, were all playing in the Old Boys senior team, while Chris, the youngest brother, was in the top junior side at school. When the family moved to Fendalton Road their father laid down a grass pitch, and in the evenings Richard and Dayle would bowl to him and Barry, the eldest brother. Previously, these games had taken place in the backyard of their home in Wairarapa Terrace. As always, cricket was the most important topic in the Hadlee household and on Saturday evening the conversation at the dinner table was about the game and how the various members of the family had performed during the day. There was also a fierce competitive streak among the brothers, especially between Richard and Dayle which sometimes could get out of hand. When he was younger Richard really looked forward to the occasions when his mother took him and Chris to Lancaster Park to watch Barry play for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield. Richard craved to be nearer the action and managed to get a job selling programmes and helping to operate the scoreboard. Two players the young Richard much admired and enjoyed watching were Dick Motz and Frank Cameron, both fine bowlers who played with distinction for New Zealand. When Dayle 5