9th November, 1985: Richard Hadlee Wreaks Havoc on Australia With Figures of 9/52

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: November 9, 2018, 1:22 PM IST

On this day, in 1985, New Zealand great Richard Hadlee returned figures of 9/52 in 23.4 overs in the first Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. The figures still remain the best-ever by any player – home-grown or visiting – in a Test played in Australia.

The likes of Allan Border, Kepler Wessels and David Boon were all left flabbergasted during the course of a riveting spell of fast bowling from the New Zealander.

Hadlee had the chance to become only the second bowler in the history of Test cricket after Jim Laker to pick up all 10 wickets in an innings but unselfishly took a remarkable running catch of Geoff Lawson to give Vaughan Brown a maiden Test wicket.

He then complemented his nine-wicket-haul with a 6/51 in the second dig finishing with astonishing figures of 15/103 which still remains unsurpassed across all Tests in Australia. New Zealand took the game by an innings and 41 runs.

It was not just with the ball that Hadlee wreaked havoc on the hosts. After picking up a nine-for, he came out and smashed a glittering 45-ball 54 which included four fours and three sixes and to date remains the only player to pick 15 wickets and score a half-century in the same Test.