Lavish praise for Hadlee’s double

Press, 30 August 1984, Page 25

Lavish praise for Hadlee’s double

NZPA London Richard Hadlee was hailed as a hero by the British press on Tuesday after becoming the first player in 17 years to take 100 wickets and score 1000 runs in an English county cricket season.

“Stand aside lan Botham... And Imran Khan and Kapil Dev... And anyone else who lays claim to the title,” the “Daily Express” declared. “For now there can be no doubt that Richard Hadlee, the 33-year-old New Zealander who plays county cricket for Nottinghamshire, is the greatest all-rounder in the game today.”

In an article headed “A

dreamer who sees his dreams come true”, “The Times” said Hadlee’s achievement was all the more extraordinary “for being done by a player who would be picked solely as a fast bowler by almost any side in the world.

“Even in the days of 32 championship matches, the number of genuine fast bowlers who managed the double were few, and it testifies to Hadlee’s consistency that he has succeeded.”

It was the shortening of the county championship to 24 matches in 1969 that led many observers to believe the 100/1000 double was impossible. This was acknowledged by Wisden, which in recent years has listed 1000 runs and 50 wickets as a noteworthy performance.

Since the season was shortened, no player had been able to match the performance of Fred Titmus of Middlesex, the last player to complete the double. In 1967 Titmus scored 1093 runs from 35 innings and took 106 wickets from 1178 overs. By comparison Hadlee’s success came from 21 innings and just 658 overs.

John Lever, the Essex bowler who has just passed 100 wickets in a season for the fourth time, put Hadlee’s performance in perspective. “Every time I have taken 100 wickets it has left me feeling completely drained,

so I think it is amazing for Richard to have done the double,” he said. “To be expected to go in and make runs as well as take wickets means the pressure has never been off. Richard has been on the field virtually all season.”

All newspapers agreed Hadlee’s achievement ranked with the greatest in the past. “The Guardian” said that between 1874 and 1967, 110 players scored the double, including George Hirst, who in 1906 did the doubledouble — 200 wickets and 2000 runs.

But, the paper said, there were few poor players in modern county cricket. In the past teams were full of substandard players who happened to be around on the day to make up a team, and as such prove easy prey for any reasonable bowler. “The double Richard Hadlee reached is not just a return to an old cricketing landmark it is an achivement fit to rank with the all-round feats of any age,” the newspaper said. “By his efforts Hadlee may have re-established an old standard,” “The Times” added.