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Don Bradman's bat: The Don

Don Bradman's bat: The Don

As long as Australia has Bradman she will be invincible ... It is almost time to request a legal limit on the number of runs Bradman should be allowed to make .

London News Chronicle, 1930

Donald Bradman was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales, in 1908, and grew up in Bowral. He played cricket at school and at 14 became a member of the Bowral Town team. He soon gained a position with the St George club in Sydney, making his state debut in 1927 and his Test debut in 1928.

A black and white photograph of a cricketer in front of a wicket. He is in the foreground of the image and is standing in a batting position with a bat in his hands. The cricketer is right-handed, so the bat is to the left of him in the photo. He is wearing shoes, long trousers, and a jumper over a shirt with an upturned collar. He also wears a baggy cap on his head and a pair of batting pads on his legs. He looks at the camera with a determined expression on his face. Behind him are three stumps without bails on them. In the background are other cricketers and what appear to be cricket ground stands. The cricketers and stands are out of focus. The cricketer at the wicket casts a long shadow, suggesting that the photo was taken early or late in the day.

Bradman played for Australia for 20 years, serving as captain from 1936. He retired at the close of the 1948 'Invincibles' tour.

Bradman is often acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. He still holds the records for the highest career batting average (99.94 runs), the highest percentage of centuries in innings played (36.25%), and the most runs in a series (974 runs against England in 1930).

His meteoric rise, sustained success, and attacking, sometimes flamboyant, play made him a crowd favourite and a national celebrity.

pdf Don Bradman's career statistics (PDF 1049kb)

 
Right: Don Bradman at the wicket at practice, 1932. Photo: Sam Hood, State Library of New South Wales.

 

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