Sports Advice

On Monday, 26 February 2001, Australians woke to the news that Sir Donald Bradman had died the night before. He was Australia’s greatest sporting legend and the greatest cricketer in the world. It seems only fitting that this web site should start with an article dedicated to a man many consider the finest sportsman that has ever lived.

Sir Donald Bradman will perhaps be remembered best for averaging 99.94 per innings in test cricket. It is an average that no other cricketer has even come close to (nor does it seem likely that any one will come close to it any time in the near or distant future). A list of the highest batting averages is led by Bradman with 99.94, followed by Dempster at 65.72 and then Barnest at 63.05. These figures are even more astounding when the tests played are noted: Bradman played 52, Dempster 10 and Barnes 13.

But Sir Donald Bradman is much more than a high average.

He was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales, on 27 August 1908 and moved to Bowral when he was two. One of the ways he amused himself as a child was to hit a golf ball against a water tank using a cricket stump. He scored his first century aged 12 in a school game.

In 1927, he was selected as twelfth man for New South Wales, in its tour of the southern states of Australia. Due to another player having an injury, he was called on and became the 20th Australian to make a century in his debut; he scored 118.

His superb performances for New South Wales earned him a place in the Australian test team, where he continue to bat marvellously. Some of his finest achievements include scoring two 300s in test cricket, scoring over 5028 runs against England and scoring 100 in six consecutive test matches.

It couldn’t have come at a better time for Australia. In the grip of depression, the Australian people needed something to lift its spirits and Donald Bradman fit the bill nicely. They flocked to see him play and everybody knew the words to “Our Don”.

Hero-worship of “The Don” did not end with his cricket career in 1948. Right up until his death, his name was known throughout the land, and people too young to have ever seen him play knew the words to “Our Don” off by heart. A stamp set was released in his honour in 1997. Songs continue to be written and sung about him.

It is perhaps ironic that this well-known man disliked publicity. As he grew older, he became more private, perhaps understandable as the greatest love of his life was not fame, was not even cricket, but was his wife, Jessie Menzies. He married her in 1932, but claims he fell in love with her when he was 11 or 12 and Jessie came to stay with the family. He called his marriage with her “the best partnership of my life”.

When Sir Donald Bradman died, the newspapers all dedicated pages to the story. Every television channel showed some form of dedication to the cricketer. Australia Post set up condolence books. And, as can be expected in a commercial world, the cost of Donald Bradman memorabilia rose. It has been said that Australia stopped on hearing news of his death. It has also been said (by the non-Donald Bradman fans) that Australia didn’t stop at all and the media attention was overkill. The truth perhaps lies somewhere in-between. One thing is for certain, though. We stopped to watch him play 50 years ago and every single Australian stopped for at least a second to take in the news that our greatest cricketer was now dead. Some of us may never stop mourning.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Palmer is a freelance writer with a strong interest in history, particularly Australian history. Her website http://geocities.com/historylass contains history links, articles, trivia, short stories and book and movie reviews.