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DONALD

BRADMAN

Don Bradman was the daddy. In a 20 year Test career for Australia, “the Don” amassed a decent square cut short of 7000 runs in just 80 glorious innings, including 29 centuries, six doubles and two triple centuries.

For the record, he also took two wickets. In his final Test at The Oval against England, Bradman took to the wicket needing to make just four runs to end his Test career with an astonishing Test average of 100. Four poxy little runs. Just a thick edge between slip and gully or maybe a little leg glance that avoided the wicketkeeper’s dive. But no.

 

Instead, Bradman was out second ball to the wrist spin of England’s Eric Hollies and he ended his career with an average of 99.94. Still, to put that into some kind of perspective, not only does it remain the best average of all time, obviously, but it is also nearly 40 runs clear of South Africa’s Graeme Pollock in second place.

 

After his retirement, one cricket writer ventured “a miracle has been removed from among us. So must ancient Italy have felt when she heard of the death of Hannibal.” Sure, it was a hell of a compliment but then Don Bradman was a hell of a player.

 

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