Dayle Hadlee

Who is Dayle Hadlee?

Dayle Robert Hadlee is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 11 ODIs from 1969 to 1978. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, the older brother of Sir Richard Hadlee and the younger brother of Barry Hadlee.

An opening bowler and useful batsman in the lower order, he was selected to tour England, India and Pakistan in 1969 after only three first-class matches, none of them in the Plunket Shield. He played in two Tests in England, taking six wickets. He played all six Tests against India and Pakistan, taking 21 wickets at 15.95, including his best Test figures of 4 for 30 in Hyderabad, and making 152 runs at 16.88, including his only Test fifty, 56 at Karachi, when he had a partnership of 100 in 90 minutes for the eighth wicket with Bryan Yuile.

He was hampered by injury for a couple of years and didn't make his Plunket Shield debut for Canterbury until 1971-72. In 1972-73 he took 32 wickets in the Shield at 13.50, opening the bowling with his brother Richard, who took 28 at 15.64. Dayle took 6 for 42 against Otago, and 4 for 28 and 7 for 88 against Northern Districts. Richard made his Test debut in the First Test against Pakistan, then lost his place to Dayle for the last two Tests of the series. Neither brother made much impact. Between the Second and Third Tests New Zealand played its first One Day International, beating Pakistan by 22 runs in fading light in Christchurch; Dayle took 4 for 34.