Edgbaston Legends - Sir Don Bradman

Edgbaston Legends - Sir Don Bradman

Sir Don Bradman - it is said that the great Bradman is being talked about by somebody, somewhere, no matter what time of day or night it is...

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The figure 99.94 needs no explanation among cricket followers for it is the Test average of one of the greatest batsmen ever to have played the game - Sir Don Bradman. In an era when runs had to be earned due to uncovered pitches and minimal protective clothing, Bradman scored an incredible 29 centuries in 80 innings, notching up 6,996 runs with a highest score of 334.

In 52 matches, he also scored 13 half-centuries, took 32 catches and two Test wickets but it was for his batting that he will go down in posterity - mainly because in more than 60 years since he retired in 1948, no player who has played consistently at the top level has come close to his record.

He made his debut for Australia in 1928 against England and made his first century in his second match - the third of the series. From there, the runs continued to flow, memorably scoring 309 of them in a day at Headingley in 1930 and becoming the first man to register two Test triple-centuries, a record that wasn’t matched until 2004 when Brian Lara achieved the feat.

Although Bradman never played a Test at Edgbaston, in 1938 he scored 135 as he led Australia to an innings win over Warwickshire and ten years later he captained again as Australia won by ten wickets.

He captained Australia in separate spells between 1936 and 1948, managing to average more (101.51) while leading the side than he did when not the skipper. Of the 24 matches he led, he won 15 of them, including his farewell at The Oval, when he was bowled by Eric Hollies for a two-ball duck when he required just four to finish with an average of exactly 100.

It wasn’t to be, but his unparalleled career sees him celebrated as one of the game’s legends and he was widely mourned when he passed away in February 2001.