After Dinner Speakers: Richard Hadlee, Simon Weston, Penny Lancaster

Sir Richard Hadlee was the youngest of the trio of brothers to play first class cricket, making his debut for Canterbury in 1971/72. The sons of former New Zealand captain Walter Hadlee, who was a member of the board of control of New Zealand Cricket when Barry, Dayle and Richard each made their debuts. Richard, although showing great talent as a faster bowler, faced a long haul before becoming a regular member of the test side. After making his test debut against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve in 1973, it wasn't until his achievement in taking 10 Indian wickets, also at the Basin Reserve in 1976, that Hadlee could claim a permanent place in the New Zealand Test team. A move to county cricket where he forged a long-lasting partnership with South African Clive Rice at the Nottinghamshire County Club was also a significant development in Hadlee's career. The rough edges were rounded off his game and he became a much more potent strike force. By 1980, when he spearheaded New Zealand's surprise victory over the West Indies in Dunedin, he had claimed the New Zealand Test wicket record of 117, a mere first step on the ladder of achievement he was to climb. As a genuine strike force, Hadlee gave New Zealand cricket an edge it had rarely enjoyed and it started to pick up regular test victories. He also found consistent bowling support from the other end where Ewen Chatfield, finally claimed the place for himself, with more support from medium-pacers like Lance Cairns and Martin Snedden. In 1982, Hadlee reduced his run-up, attracting some criticism but losing none of his effectiveness. The milestone continued. Norman Cowans in England becamehis 200th victim in 1983. Allan Border in Wellington was his 300th victim. Then in India in 1988, after an injury denied him the chance to break Ian Botham's world Test record of 373, on his home ground at Lancaster Park, he travelled to India to dismiss Arun Lal in the first session of the first test to break the record. Back in New Zealand, in 1990, he became the first past 400 wickets when bowling Indian Sanjay Manjrekar, this time on Lancaster Park. Later that year, his Test career ended in England, with a wicket from his last ball in the game, and the achievement of New Zealand never having lost a Test series at home during the 1980s. His greatest single achievement was his nine wickets in an innings at Brisbane in 1985 when he helped set up New Zealand's first Test win over Australia on Australian soil. It was also the precursor to the first series win over Australia, New Zealand winning 2-1 and Hadlee taking 33 wickets in the series. Centuries against the West Indies in 1980 and Sri Lanka in 1987, and some wonderful fielding feats rounded out the hard-hitting image of Hadlee which made him such an effective one-day player. After several years in the role of public relations ambassador for cricket in New Zealand under its then sponsor, the Bank of New Zealand, Hadlee was this year appointed chairman of New Zealand's selectors.