Sir Richard Hadlee, a name that is synonymous with greatness in international cricket. His contribution to the New Zealand cricket was immense and the global cricket fraternity would be spellbound when he used to take the field. In this article, we will go down memory lane and look at his top 3 performances in ODI cricket.
5/25 vs Sri Lanka, 1983
Richard Hadlee delivered his best bowling performance in ODI cricket in the 1983 World Cup. New Zealand clashed with Sri Lanka in the initial stage of the tournament, and Hadlee showcased his skills. The New Zealand team was elected to field first and the great all-rounder proved that decision right by picking up five wickets in the first innings. His 5-wicket haul prevented Sri Lanka from posting a big total for New Zealand to chase. The Blackcaps eventually won the match by five wickets and Richard Hadlee was awarded the player of the match for his phenomenal bowling spell.
5/26 vs Australia, 1981
Another match-winning bowling effort from Richard Hadlee but this time, it was against Australia in 1981. He chose the first final of the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup to deliver one of the best bowling performances that had ever delivered in his white-ball career. New Zealand batted first and ended up with 233 runs on the board which was a formidable target for Australia. In the second innings, Richard Hadlee dominated the Australians right from the word go. He went on to take 5 wickets and as a result of which, New Zealand won the match comfortably by 78 runs.
5/32 vs India, 1980
The Benson and Hedged World Series Cup was a big success for Richard Hadlee and this bowling spell was also delivered in the same tournament, against India. However, New Zealand could not win this contest but Hadlee impressed with his bowling effort. In the first innings, it was his contribution that restricted India to 162 runs. His team could not come out on top by the end, but his performance could not have been overlooked and he was awarded the player of the match for his extraordinary bowling contribution.