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Sir Donald Bradman, to nobody's surprise, was chosen as the Cricketer of the Century by the respected Wisden Almanack. It seems that there could hardly have been any other contendors, so thoroughly did Bradman dominate his chosen sport. He retired with an average a shade under 100 runs an innings, double that considered to demarcate an exceptional player and streaks ahead of the next best Wally Hammond who mainted an average of 60.
Born on the 27th of August 1908 in the remote New South Wales town of Cootamundra, Donald Bradman always seemed to be playing a different game to his contemporaries. At the age of nineteen in 1927, Bradman played his first first-class game for New South Wales against South Australia, racking up 118 and setting the platform for a prolific career.
Immediately becoming a prolific scorer at domestic level, Bradman is picked for his 'Ashes' test debut against England in December 1928. He disappoints, making just 18 and 1, but two tests later made 112 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against England.
The next year in England, Bradman made his presence felt in no uncertain terms.
He followed a 131 in the First Test at Trent Bridge with a 254 in the second at Lords and surpassed this with 334 in the following test, 309 of which was made in a day.
At the time, this was the highest test score, surpassed only later by the Yokshireman Sir Leonard Hutton who made 364. For good measure, Bradman clocked up 232 in the Fifth Test of the series.
The records followed apace. Centuries against South Africa (299* running out of partners a highlight), the West Indies and India followed as well as further humiliation of England. For a time he even held the record for the highest score in North America, a 160 made in Ontario, Canada.
The bare statistics are chilling; during a 52-match test career, Bradman scored 29 test centuries, 19 against England and 10 against South Africa. As a Captain he was easily the most successful of his contemporaries, winning 15 out of the 24 tests in which he was in charge. He led Australia to victory in 11 tests against England duuring which time England only managed to secure 3 wins.
Retiring to the not-so glamorous world of stockbroking, Bradman was knighted in 1949, the year of his retirement. He subsequently wrote many books on the game and is still revered in his home state and regarded as a global authority on the game.
Perhaps the story most favoured by sentimental cricket lovers relates to Bradman's last test innings. Needed a solitary boundary, 4 runs, in order to retire with a career average of 100, he was bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck.
The fanciful interpretation of this is that Bradman was unable to see the ball, obscured as it was by the tears in his eyes.
Speciality: Right Hand Batsman
Career Statistics :
Batting M I NO Runs 50 100 HS Avge ct
Tests 52 80 10 6996 13 29 334 99.94 32
FC 234 338 43 28067 69 117 452*95.14 131
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