The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Hadlee’s Gabba heroics remembered after three decades

The New Zealand Test side will be hoping to emulate Sir Richard Hadlee (left) next month. (AP Photo/Desikan Krishnan)
Expert
29th October, 2015
30

With the first Australia versus New Zealand Test commencing next Thursday, November 5, in Brisbane, I am reminded of the November 1985 Test at the same venue.

It is recalled as the Richard Hadlee Test. He captured 9-52 and 6-71 as New Zealand triumphed by an innings and 41 runs.

In the first innings he could have joined England’s off-spinner Jim Laker as the second bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings (in the Manchester 1956 Ashes Test) but Hadlee caught Geoff Lawson off debutant off-spinner Vaughan Brown in the deep.

Hadlee had taken the first eight wickets and was on the way to join Laker. But to Sir Richard Hadlee his country came before personal glory.

Famous cricket writer Frank Keating described the Lawson dismissal as the catch of the century. Not so much for the catch itself – though it was eminently droppable – but because, with Dave Gilbert (Test batting average seven) and Bob Holland (three) at numbers 10 and 11, Hadlee’s 10-fer was very much on the cards.

Subsequently, India’s leg-spinner Anil Kumble became the second player to take all 10 wickets in an innings, against Pakistan at Delhi in February 1999.

Thanks to the mesmerising spells by Hadlee and superb centuries by John Reid (108) and Martin Crowe (188) the Kiwis recorded their first victory over the Aussies in Australia at their seventh attempt.

New Zealand skipper Jeremy Coney won the toss and sent the home team in to bat on a pitch which appeared moist. A wise move as Australia lost wickets cheaply on a cloudy humid day. Bad light stopped play on the opening day with the score on 4-146.

Advertisement

The top scorer was South Africa-born Kepler Wessels who defended grimly to score 70 before becoming Hadlee’s fifth victim on the second day. Australia was bundled out for 179, Hadlee becoming Australian destroyer with spellbinding figures of 23.4-4-52-9.

Wessels announced his retirement from Test cricket for Australia after contractual differences with the Australian Cricket Board. He later played 16 Tests for South Africa.

The pitch improved as New Zealand declared at 7-553 at stumps on day three. Reid and Martin Crowe added 224 runs for the third wicket, then a record stand for the Kiwis.

Facing a deficit of 374 runs, Australia again started disastrously and lost 5-67 but was rescued by skipper Allan Border (152 not out) and Greg Matthews (115) adding 197 for the sixth wicket.

But this was not enough as the home team again fell to the pace and swing of man of the match Hadlee who had menacing figures of 28.5-9-71-6. Thus he had taken 15-123, the best Test returns for a New Zealander.

Hadlee went on to his third five-fer in a row in the next Test in Sydney, although Australia won the match by four wickets to level the series.

The Hadlee machine continued to hassle and harass the Aussie bats, capturing 5-65 and 6-90 in the third and final Test in Perth. Thus he had taken five or more wickets in an innings five times out of six.

Advertisement

The tourists were victorious by six wickets to win their first and only series in Australia 2-1.

Hadlee ended up grabbing 33 wickets in three Tests at an awe-inspiring average of 12.15.

How will the current New Zealand team fare in the Test series about to begin next Thursday? They surely would need someone like Hadlee.

On the first day of their match against the Cricket Australia XI at Blacktown, Sydney yesterday, their attack was mauled by the openers. Aaron Finch hit his maiden first-class double century (214 not out with 18 fours and five sixes) and together with Ryan Carters (156 not out with 16 fours) put on 376 runs.

I may add that fast bowler Trent Boult was rested for this match and Tim Southee bowled only three overs.

Oh for a Hadlee, could be their chant.

close