Richard Hadlee

Sir Richard Hadlee was a New Zealand all-rounder widely regarded as the country's greatest cricketer, becoming the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets.

Sir Richard John Hadlee was born on 3 July 1951 in St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand, the son of Walter Hadlee, a former New Zealand Test captain, and two of his brothers, Dayle and Barry, also played international cricket, making the Hadlees one of the most storied families in the sport's history. Hadlee made his Test debut in 1973, and developed into the finest fast bowler New Zealand has ever produced, becoming, in 1988, the first bowler in Test history to take 400 wickets, finishing his career with a then-world-record 431 wickets at an average of 22.29. Hadlee delivered numerous career-defining performances, including 6 for 26 to bowl England out for 64 in 1978, securing New Zealand's first-ever Test victory over the country, and was also an accomplished middle-order batter, scoring two centuries and 15 half-centuries. Hadlee was knighted in 1990, the year he retired, and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, later serving as a New Zealand cricket selector. Wisden named him the second-greatest Test bowler of all time in 2002, and a bronze bust of him stands outside the Christchurch Arts Centre in recognition of his standing as the country's most celebrated cricketer.

Hadlee was a right-arm fast-medium bowler who relied on accuracy, movement, and intelligent use of variations rather than raw pace. He possessed an economical action and exceptional control, able to move the ball both ways off the seam and through the air.

Hadlee transformed New Zealand cricket from minnows to a competitive Test nation and inspired a generation of fast bowlers worldwide.

• Knighted
• Wisden Cricketer of the Century nominee
• New Zealand Cricketer of the Century