Read The Unknown Facts About Sir Don Bradman

‘The Don’ Sir Donald Bradman is regarded as the finest batsman to have ever lived. He retired with a batting average of 99.94 and became a legend in cricket. With an unmatched average, he is perhaps the most gifted batter in cricket history. But even if you are not a cricket fan, you might still be curious about Don Bradman. Read The unknown facts about Sir Don Bradman below.

Unknown Facts About Sir Don Bradman

Who was Don Bradman?

‘The Don’, better known as Sir Donald George Bradman, was born on August 27, 1908, in Cootamundra, New South Wales. He came from a cricket-obsessed family. When he was a young boy, his father, and uncle took him to see cricket because his mother, Emily, participated in the women’s intercolonial cricket competition in the 1890s. He moved with his family to Bowral when he was two. Bradman’s curiosity for cricket developed when he saw elder kids playing the sport at the school. With a golf ball and a stump, he made a one-man cricket game where he practiced batting and developed his hand-eye coordination.

At the age of eleven, he participated in his first cricket match and recorded an outstanding 55 not out. He achieved his first century a year later! Bradman, a player for Bowral Public High School, recorded an unbeaten 115 score. His Uncle George asked him to serve as the team’s scorer for the 1920–21 season for the Bowral cricket team. On a Saturday, ‘The Don’ filled in for the team’s missing player. The following week, he scored 27 not out after initially scoring 37 not out. This was a remarkable feat for a twelve-year-old using a full-size bat.

Bradman traveled to the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1921 to witness the fifth Ashes Test match with his father. Australia scored 398 and 93/1, while England scored 208 in the first innings and 280 in the second. By nine wickets, Australia won. Bradman turned to his father after Australia’s victory and stated, “I shall never be satisfied until I play on this ground.”

Don Bradman’s Early Playing Years

Bradman started participating consistently for the Bowral team. People started to take notice of him. The New South Wales Cricket Association was recruiting new Australians for the upcoming Ashes series in 1926. They were aware of Bradman’s abilities and wrote to him to invite him to a Sydney practice session. He was then selected to play cricket in the Country Week competitions.

Don received an invitation to play grade cricket for St. George in Sydney in the 1926–1927 season because of his performance during the Country Week games. He made his debut and scored 110! He used to travel from Bowral to Sydney every Saturday to play these games.

Bradman later made his first-class debut at the Adelaide Oval the following year. In the season’s final game at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he struck an innings of 118 and hit his first century. He relocated to Sydney for the 1928–19 season. In the opening Sheffield Shield game against Queensland, he made hundreds in both innings. Bradman then scored 87 and 132 runs against the visiting England squad while still unbeaten. His selection for the first Test of the impending Ashes series was a result of this.

A Legendary Batsman

The first Test match Bradman played was a challenging learning experience that introduced him to a higher level of competition. He atoned for his mistakes by being the youngest player to ever hit a Test century by scoring a century in the third Test. Bradman’s lone and only run out of his whole Test career occurred during this season! He averaged 93.88 throughout the entire season.

To represent Australia in the 1930 Ashes series, Bradman was selected. All Australian hopes were placed on Bradman and his fellow batters because it was assumed that the English would win. Bradman did not let us down. By the end of May, he had amassed 1,000 first-class runs, becoming the fifth player (and first Australian) to do so. 

Many people credited Bradman for the success of the 1930 Ashes series won by Australia. He had 974 runs and four centuries, including two double-hundreds and a triple, before the end of the season. This record has never been matched (or surpassed)!

The appeal of “The Don” persisted. In the third Test of the 1930–31 season, Bradman scored 223 runs in 297 minutes, and 152 runs in 154 minutes. He scored 299 not out in the fourth Test of the Australian series in 1931–1922, breaking the previous record for the highest score in a Test. Don Bradman had a unique batting style, which is why by 1932 he hadn’t hit a six. This is an important fact about him. He frequently smacked the ball along the ground, making it challenging to catch him.

In the 1948 Ashes, Bradman’s final Test game took place. Australia defeated England, but the fans were shocked by the final innings: Don Bradman was bowled for a duck without scoring a run! His average would have been a tidy 100 if he had been successful in his final innings. The highest average to date was achieved by Don Bradman, whose final batting average was 99.94.

Don Bradman’s Career

Without a question, Bradman had a successful and lengthy career! From 1927–1928, when he played Test matches in Sydney, to 1948–1949, when he last participated in the Ashes, Don Bradman’s career spans. World War II halted his playing years. Bradman enlisted in the RAAF in 1940 before switching to the army the following year. His time in the army was short-lived because he was medically discharged.

In 1946, test match play resumed, and England visited Australia. Bradman captained rather than playing since he was still healing from his sickness. India visited Australia in 1947–1948 for the inaugural Test series between Australia and India. Bradman participated in the game and hit his 100th outstanding century.

Bradman participated in 52 games altogether. His first official game was against South Australia in 1927, and his final came in the 1948–1949 Ashes tournament against England.

Facts About Sir Don Bradman

You may anticipate record-breaking facts from someone who lived a life as long and as remarkable as Don Bradman. Some of Don Bradman’s facts are still really astounding.

1. During his 1930 trip, he became the youngest foreign player to record a double century in England. He just had a 22-year-old final score of 236.
2. Only one Australian, Don Bradman, has twice scored a duck and a century in the same Test. The first time was during the second Ashes Test in 1932–1933; the second time was in 1948.
3. The English team created a full strategy in 1932 to attempt to defeat Bradman. To get rid of Bradman, who batted low to the earth, the Bodyline method was developed. He contracted a disease during the war, which resulted in the loss of all sensation in his thumb and index finger on his right hand. This might have been disastrous for a right-handed batter.
4. Don Bradman’s mark of 99.94 is still unsurpassed.
5. The only cricketer from Australia to receive a knighthood is Bradman. In 1949, he was knighted.
6. Age 92, he passed away on February 25, 2001.
7. Shane Warne was one of his favorite contemporary athletes.
8. He was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1979 for his contributions to cricket.

These was all about the unknown facts about Sir Don Bradman.