20 Lesser known facts about the legendary Sir Don Bradman

Sir Donald Bradman was one of the most shining cricketing stars, world cricket has ever seen. Talking about Test cricket, Bradman’s name comes at the top. The current generation never watched him bat but he has remained in the heart of each cricket lover and has defined cricket batting in a new and revolutionary way. Most cricket experts think he was the best batsman of all time. On the former Australian’s 107^th birth anniversary, we bring to you some really interesting facts about the brilliant batsman.

Read through the 20 Lesser known facts about the legendary Sir Don Bradman:

1. You are kidding me!!

Don Bradman once scored 100 runs in 3 overs. The match was played in the Blue Mountains town of Blackheath between Blackheath and Lithgow to commemorate the opening of their concrete wicket.

2. The starting years:

Young Don honed his cricketing skills by throwing a golf ball against a small brick wall and hitting it on the rebound with a cricket stump.

3. Tragedy of four runs:

Bradman has scored at a mind-boggling average of 99.94 in Test cricket which is the highest till date. If he had scored four more runs in his last inning of the last match, he would have had an average of 100 but, unfortunately he was out for a duck on the second ball of his innings (bowled by Eric Hollies).

4. The Bradman’s honeymoon:

Don and Jessie Bradman were married in St Paul’s Church in the Sydney suburb of Burwood on 30th April, 1932. Their honeymoon was unusual with Mrs Bradman accompanying her husband and several other cricket players on a tour to the United States and Canada.

5. Bring it on:

In his only series against South Africa, Bradman scored 806 runs at an average of 201.50.

6. Such was his fear:

To stop Don from scoring runs, in 1932-33 series England adopted new tactics – Leg theory short pitched bowling named Bodyline. Which was criticized severely by all cricket experts.

7. Truly deserved:

Bradman was selected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

8. Nelson Mandela on Sir Don:

He was a popular sports icon not only in Australia but across the globe. When Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison, his first question to an Australian visitor was, “Is Sir Donald Bradman still alive?”

9. A true tribute:

On his birthday, August 27, 2008, the Royal Australian Mint issued a $5 commemorative gold coin with Donald Bradman’s image.

10. Sir Donald did not want to be remembered for cricket:

In the words of his grandson Tom Bradman “Cricket was not all that he was about and certainly if you’d asked him what he wanted to be remembered for, it wasn’t cricket”.

11. An all-rounder:

Apart from cricket, Don Bradman excelled in many sports including tennis, squash, golf and billiards. As a youngster he was picked to play in the Country Week tennis competition and played competitively in the Bowral Competition.

12. Bradman the musician:

Sir Donald loved music. He played the piano, composed music and enjoyed listening to records and his favourite soprano voices.

13. A brilliant first class record:

Don Bradman scored 28,067 runs in First-class cricket at an average of 95.15, with a top score of 452 not out.

14. The postal address connection:

ABC’s (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) postal address in all capitals of state and territory is PO Box 9994. This is in honour of Bradman’s Test average of 99.94

15. Respect for Bradman:

In 1948, Kathiawar, a regional team, abandoned an ongoing match against Maharashtra when the latter’s batsman Bhausahibe Nimbalkar, was batting on 443. This is because they believed it would not be courteous for the batsmen to overtake Bradman’s first-class individual record of 452 runs.

16. From now on ‘Sir’:

He was knighted in 1949, for his contribution to the game of cricket.

17. Maiden Test century:

On January 3, 1929 Bradman scored his maiden Test hundred (112) against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

18. Last Test hunderd:

He scored his last test hundred against England in the Fourth Test at Headingley on July 27, 1948. Bradman scored an unbeaten 173 and Australia successfully chased a mammoth total and ended up winning the Test after scoring 3-404.

19. Chairman of Australian Board:

In 1960 Bradman became the first former Test player to be elected chairman of the Australian Board of Control. He continued to serve cricket as a selector and a member of the Board, including as chairman, for two terms.

20. In Don’s words:

Don Bradman described himself as “predominately a back foot player”.