Bradman, Sir Donald George

▪ 2002

“the Don” 

      Australian cricketer (b. Aug. 27, 1908, Cootamundra, N.S.W., Australia—d. Feb. 25, 2001, Adelaide, Australia), was the most effective batsman in the history of the game and one of the most celebrated Australians of the 20th century. Bradman's achievements far surpassed those of any other cricket batsman. His career averages of 99.94 in Tests and 95.14 in first-class matches were well ahead of those in second place: R.G. Pollock (60.97) in Tests and V.M. Merchant (71.22) in first-class matches. He made a world-record 37 scores of 200 or greater in a total of 338 first-class innings, compared with runner-up W. Hammond (36 in 634 innings), and scored his hundredth first-class hundred in his 295th innings, while the next-fastest, D.C.S. Compton, needed 552 innings. Bradman's 452 not out, against Queensland in 1930, remained the highest first-class score for almost 30 years, and his 334 against England in 1930 (309 in one day) was the highest Test score at the time. In 234 first-class matches for New South Wales, South Australia, and Australia, he made 28,067 runs, including 117 hundreds and six scores of 300 or more runs (another world record), with one score of more than 400. In 52 Tests he scored 6,996 runs, with 29 hundreds, including 2 triple and 10 double centuries. After playing for Bowral Cricket Club, Bradman was invited (1927) to play for New South Wales, scoring 118 not out in his first match. His Test debut came the next year against England at Brisbane. He batted poorly and was dropped, but he soon was recalled and batted 79 and 112. The Australian tour of England in 1930, in which he scored 974 runs in the Test series (average 139.14), established him as the game's dominant batsman. He continued his high scoring against the West Indies (1930–31) and South Africa (1931–32). To counter Bradman's devastating batting, England captain D.R. Jardine devised the infamous “bodyline” bowling for the 1932–33 tour of Australia. In a bitterly contentious atmosphere, England won the series and “contained” Bradman to an average of 56.57 for the Test series, with only one century. After bodyline was condemned and outlawed, Bradman resumed his assault on the bowlers and never averaged less than 84.16 for any season until World War II interrupted his career in 1940. Bradman, who had been named captain in 1936, was well into his 30s and plagued with health problems when cricket resumed after the war. Nevertheless, he led Australia to victory in four Test series (15 wins, 3 losses, and 6 draws). Although only 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, Bradman had deft footwork and strong wrists and forearms, combined with intense powers of concentration and an insatiable appetite for runs. After retiring in 1948, he served as a selector, and he was twice chairman of the Australian Board of Control. He was knighted in 1949 and appointed Companion of the Order of Australia in 1979. The Bradman Museum was opened in Bowral in 1989. The 2000 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack named Bradman the top cricketer of the 20th century.

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