| Salute to
the Legend- Our Don Bradman
[ Tribute to the Legend
]
Don
Bradman
(1908-2001)
We at yehhaicricket.com are going to go down the memory lane and
remember one of the Cricket’s greats whose contribution to this
game has become indispensable. Without him, the game of cricket would not have been the
same.
No one came closer to sporting perfection over a sustained period
than Sir Donald Bradman. A century is the ultimate for any batsman
and Sir Donald's lifetime Test cricket average of 99.94 still
stands as testament to his impact on the game.
Childhood: Bradman
was born on 27th August 1908, Adam Street, Cootamundra, New
South Wales, Australia. He was the youngest of five children.
After his first few years in Cootamundra in country NSW, his parents
moved the family to Bowral, around 1910, in the Southern Highlands
of NSW. He later became known the 'Boy from Bowral' even though he
wasn't born there. His schooling was at Bowral intermediate high
school.
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The scoreboard at the Adelaide Oval after the
Don's death was announced. |
Family and the beginning:
Born in the family of keen cricketers Bradman took instant liking
to this game and Young Donald honed his cricketing skills by
throwing a golf ball against a small brick wall and hitting it on
the rebound with a cricket stump. If anyone has tried this they
will realize it is no easy feat. Such was the determination in
this young lad, which made him the greatest batsman in the world.
He played his first match at age 11 and made 55 and the Oval on
which he played is now known as the Bradman Oval. Making his first
century at the age of 12 Bradman never looked back.
Marriage: Don Bradman met his future wife
at a very early age Jessica Menzies was a child hood friend of Don
Bradman and the two remained close all their lives. So close in
fact that in April 1932 they were married in Burwood, Sydney. They
had a 65 year long married life but sadly Lady Bradman died in
1997. On her death, Sir Donald said that his wife was the greatest
partner he ever had.
Debut:
After moving to Sydney he quickly got into the New South Wales
Team and very soon was picked for the National Side and made his
debut against England in 1928-29. His first match was not that
good where he made only 18 and 1 and was consequently dropped for
the second test. He was taken for the third match and that turned
out to be the beginning of a remarkable career. He made 79 and 112
runs in that match and was never dropped from the Australian Team
again.
Achievements:
Bradman took the cricket world by storm as he kept breaking one
record after the other. In 1930 on the tour to England he made 334
the highest test score at that time.
Already, therefore, he had in a very short space of
time accomplished wonders, but his triumphs were far from being at
an end, for in England he left further records behind. In the
second innings of his First Test Match in this county, at Trent
Bridge, he made 131, following that with 254 at Lord's, 334 at
Leeds and, after failing at Manchester, putting together 232 at
the Oval. With his big innings at Leeds he beat the record
individual score in Test Matches between England and Australia,
which had stood since 1903-04 to the credit of R. E. Foster, with
287 at Sydney. Without a not out average of over 139 for the five
Test Matches, and in the course of the summer he altogether played
eleven three – figure innings for his side, six of these being
over 200.
He scored 452 for New South Wales against Queensland setting the highest
first class score and so shaken were the English Team by this
champion that they started resorting to unfair means and there
started the Bodyline War. That slowed him down a bit but did not
stop him from breaking more records. Following
his success on his first tour of England, in 1930, Don Donald
Bradman was chosen as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year
in the 1931 Almanack. In this magnificent career
of his he made a total of 211 centuries, played 80 tests for
Australia most of them as captain, made 6996 test runs and had an
excellent average of 99.94 which could have been 100 had he made
just 4 runs in his last test but unfortunately got out on a duck.
Retirement:
He captained Australia in 1948 against England at the age of 40.
The Australian Team was invincible at that time and till date is
regarded as the Best Australian Team of all times. He finished his
career in 1948 and settled in his home in South Australia and
became a national selector and cricket administrator and excelled
in that role of his as well. He wrote his autobiography titled “
Farewell to Cricket”. On 15th March 1949 Don Bradman became Sir Donald Bradman after
the Governor General of Australia knighted him.
Tribute: Sir Donald died peacefully in his sleep at his Adelaide
home on the 25th of February, 2001 at the age of 92. He had been in poor health and was trying to recover from a bout
of pneumonia. He was a national treasure, adored by millions all over the world.
The
passing of Sir Donald Bradman marked not only the death of a
cricketing legend but a spiritual moment in the history of
Australia. As a cricketer, the world has known no equal. He was
the true symbol of fine sportsmanship, the benchmark that all
young cricketers aspired to. His innings may have closed but his
legacy will forever live on in the hearts of millions of his fans
around the globe.
We at yehhaicricket.com
salute this great champion who
will always remain the God of cricket.
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