Interesting Facts about Sir Don Bradman

Sir Don Bradman was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time. His test batting average of 99.94 is still a challenge for crickters. Check out some interesting facts and trivia about this great cricket legend:

Interesting Facts about Sir Don Bradman

# Sir Don Bradman was born on 27th August 1908 at a nursing home in Sydney.

# He made his debut against England in Brisbane at the age of 20. He scored 18 and one.

# In only his fourth Test innings, he scored 112 in the Third Test against England at the famous MCG.

# His highest score in first class cricket was 452* against Queensland at the SCG in 1930. He was playing for New South Wales.

# 1930 tour of England was special for several reasons:

He started the tour with 236 against Worcester, making him the youngest overseas player to score a double century in England.

He scored six double-centuries, ten centuries and fifteen half-centuries in the tour.

In the Test matches Bradman scored 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 and 232 - a total of 974 runs at an amazing average of 139.14.

On this tour, Bradman scored almost 3000 runs at an average of 98.66.

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

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

# Don got married to Jessie Menzies at St Paul's Burwood in Sydney on April 30, 1932.

# At the end of the 1934 tour of England, Bradman contracted acute appendicitis and was so gravely ill that newspapers prepared obituaries.

# Bradman played 52 test matches and scored 6996 runs at an average of 99.94. He made these runs in 80 innings (10 times not out). This includes 29 centuries and 13 half-centuries.

# During his career, he scored 26 per cent of his team’s runs.

# First Class Career:

In his first class career, he scored 28,067 runs at an average of 95.14.

He scored 200 or more in a single day on 27 occasions.

Bradman scored 117 centuries in 295 innings i:e century every 2.8 innings.

In his 295 first class innings, Bradman made 16 ducks.

# Bradman bowled 2114 deliveries in first class cricket, capturing 36 wickets at an average of 37.97.

# The ABC postal address in all capital cities of Australia is Post Office Box 9994, Bradman's Test batting average.

# During his Test career, Bradman was never dismissed in the 90s.

# Bradman's average in the first innings of Test matches was 97.85. His average in the second innings was 104.50.

# Bradman captained Australia for 24 times, winning 15 matches and losing 3. 6 tests ended in a draw. His batting average as a captain was 101.51 whereas 98.69 as a player. In all first class matches, he averaged 98.78 as captain compared with 91.57 as a player.

# Bradman was selected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931

# On 25 February 2001 he died peacefully at his home in Adelaide aged ninety-two.

# The ashes of Don and Jessie Bradman were scattered around the gardens and Oval in Bowral.

# 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?”

# Lala Amarnath was the only bowler who dismissed Donald Bradman hit wicket

# In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame