99 Facts About Donald Bradman

Story that the young Bradman practised alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball is part of Australian folklore.

Donald Bradman's meteoric rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years.

Donald Bradman hated the constant adulation and it affected how he dealt with others.

Complex, highly driven man, not given to close personal relationships, Donald Bradman retained a pre-eminent position in the game by acting as an administrator, selector and writer for three decades following his retirement.

Donald Bradman's image has appeared on postage stamps and coins, and a museum dedicated to his life was opened while he was still living.

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Donald George Bradman was the youngest son of George and Emily Bradman, and was born on 27 August 1908 at Cootamundra, New South Wales.

When Donald Bradman played at Cambridge in 1930 as a 21 year old on his first tour of England, he took the opportunity to trace his forebears in the region.

Donald Bradman's parents lived in the hamlet of Yeo Yeo, near Stockinbingal.

Emily had hailed from Mittagong in the NSW Southern Highlands, and in 1911, when Don Donald Bradman was about two-and-a-half years old, his parents decided to relocate to Bowral, close to Mittagong, to be closer to Emily's family and friends, as life at Yeo Yeo was proving difficult.

Donald Bradman invented his own solo cricket game, using a cricket stump for a bat, and a golf ball.

Donald Bradman left school in 1922 and went to work for a local real estate agent who encouraged his sporting pursuits by giving him time off when necessary.

Donald Bradman became a regular selection for the Bowral team; several outstanding performances earned him the attention of the Sydney daily press.

Donald Bradman was chosen for the "Country Week" tournaments at both cricket and tennis, to be played during separate weeks.

Donald Bradman's boss presented him with an ultimatum: he could have only one week away from work, and therefore had to choose between the two sports.

Donald Bradman scored 110 on his debut, making his first century on a turf pitch.

Donald Bradman secured the achievement of a hundred on debut, with an innings of 118 featuring what soon became his trademarks—fast footwork, calm confidence and rapid scoring.

Donald Bradman followed this with scores of 87 and 132 not out against the England touring team, and was rewarded with selection for the first Test, to be played at Brisbane.

Donald Bradman reached 58 in the second innings and appeared set to guide the team to victory when he was run out.

Donald Bradman top-scored with 123 in the first innings, and was at the wicket in the second innings when his captain Jack Ryder hit the winning runs.

Donald Bradman makes a mistake, then makes it again and again; he does not correct it, or look as if he were trying to do so.

Donald Bradman's batting reached a new level in the Second Test at Lord's where he scored 254 as Australia won and levelled the series.

Later in life, Donald Bradman rated this the best innings of his career as, "practically without exception every ball went where it was intended to go".

Donald Bradman remains the only Test player to pass 300 in one day's play.

Donald Bradman's eventual score of 334 was a world-record, exceeding the previous mark of 325 by Andy Sandham.

Donald Bradman dominated the Australian innings; the second-highest tally was 77 by Alan Kippax.

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The statistics Donald Bradman achieved on the tour, especially in the Test matches, broke records for the day and some have stood the test of time.

Donald Bradman was described as aloof from his teammates and he did not offer to buy them a round of drinks, let alone share the money given to him by Whitelaw.

Donald Bradman spent a lot of his free time alone, writing, as he had sold the rights to a book.

On his return to Australia, Donald Bradman was surprised by the intensity of his reception; he became a "reluctant hero".

At each stop, Donald Bradman received a level of adulation that "embarrassed" him.

Between these two seasons, Donald Bradman seriously contemplated playing professional cricket in England with the Lancashire League club Accrington, a move that, according to the rules of the day, would have ended his Test career.

Just weeks later, Donald Bradman joined a private team organised by Arthur Mailey to tour the United States and Canada.

Donald Bradman travelled with his wife, and the couple treated the trip as a honeymoon.

Remembering that Donald Bradman had struggled against bouncers during his 232 at The Oval in 1930, Jardine decided to combine traditional leg theory with short-pitched bowling to combat Donald Bradman.

Donald Bradman settled on the Nottinghamshire fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce as the spearheads for his tactics.

Donald Bradman, who had signed a two-year contract with the newspaper, threatened to withdraw from cricket to honour his contract when the board denied him permission to write; eventually, the paper released Donald Bradman from the contract, in a victory for the board.

Donald Bradman withdrew from the First Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground amid rumours that he had suffered a nervous breakdown.

Donald Bradman anticipated receiving a bouncer as his first ball and, as the bowler delivered, he moved across his stumps to play the hook shot.

The ball failed to rise and Donald Bradman dragged it onto his stumps; the first-ball duck was his first in a Test.

Jack Fingleton was in no doubt that Donald Bradman's game altered irrevocably as a consequence of Bodyline, writing:.

Constant glare of celebrity and the tribulations of the season forced Donald Bradman to reappraise his life outside the game and to seek a career away from his cricketing fame.

Donald Bradman was appointed vice-captain for the 1934 tour of England.

At one stage, Donald Bradman went 13 first-class innings without a century, the longest such spell of his career, prompting suggestions that Bodyline had eroded his confidence and altered his technique.

Seemingly restored to full health, Donald Bradman blazed two centuries in the last two games of the tour.

Donald Bradman lost a lot of blood during the four-hour procedure and peritonitis set in.

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Jessie Donald Bradman started the month-long journey to London as soon as she received the news.

Surprisingly, in the light of this announcement, Donald Bradman led the South Australian team in a full programme of matches that season.

Donald Bradman finished the season with 369, a South Australian record, made against Tasmania.

For some, the prospect of playing under Donald Bradman was daunting, as was the knowledge that he would additionally be sitting in judgement of their abilities in his role as a selector.

Donald Bradman let the members of the Test team know that despite their recent success, the team still required improvement.

Donald Bradman took time out of cricket for two weeks and on his return made 192 in three hours against Victoria in the last match before the beginning of the Ashes series.

Australia fell to successive defeats in the opening two Tests, Donald Bradman making two ducks in his four innings, and it seemed that the captaincy was affecting his form.

Donald Bradman won the toss on New Year's Day 1937, but again failed with the bat, scoring just 13.

Donald Bradman countered by reversing his batting order to protect his run-makers while conditions improved.

Donald Bradman needed to score heavily as England had a strengthened batting line-up, while the Australian bowling was over-reliant on O'Reilly.

Donald Bradman scored 103 out of a total of 242 and the gamble paid off, as it meant there was sufficient time to push for victory when an England collapse left them a target of only 107 to win.

Unfit to complete the tour, Donald Bradman left the team in the hands of vice-captain Stan McCabe.

At this point, Donald Bradman felt that the burden of captaincy would prevent him from touring England again, although he did not make his doubts public.

Donald Bradman made three double centuries, including 251 not out against NSW, the innings that he rated the best he ever played in the Sheffield Shield, as he tamed Bill O'Reilly at the height of his form.

Donald Bradman joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 28 June 1940 and was passed fit for air crew duty.

The RAAF had more recruits than it could equip and train and Donald Bradman spent four months in Adelaide before the Governor-General of Australia, Lord Gowrie, persuaded Donald Bradman to transfer to the army, a move that was criticised as a safer option for him.

Invalided out of service in June 1941, Donald Bradman spent months recuperating, unable even to shave himself or comb his hair due to the extent of the muscular pain he suffered.

In June 1945, Donald Bradman faced a financial crisis when the firm of Harry Hodgetts collapsed due to fraud and embezzlement.

Donald Bradman moved quickly to set up his own business, utilising Hodgetts' client list and his old office in Grenfell Street, Adelaide.

Now working alongside some of the men he had battled in the 1930s, Donald Bradman quickly became a leading light in the administration of the game.

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Donald Bradman played for South Australia in two matches to help with the re-establishment of first-class cricket and later described his batting as "painstaking".

Donald Bradman declined a tour of New Zealand and spent the winter of 1946 wondering whether he had played his last match.

Donald Bradman was the leading batsman on either side, with an average of 97.

Donald Bradman made it known that he wanted to go through the tour unbeaten, a feat never before accomplished.

Donald Bradman received a standing ovation from the crowd and three cheers from the opposition.

Just as Donald Bradman's legend grew, rather than diminished, over the years, so too has the reputation of the 1948 team.

For Donald Bradman, it was the most personally fulfilling period of his playing days, as the divisiveness of the 1930s had passed.

Donald Bradman still holds the following significant records for Test match cricket:.

When Donald Bradman died, Time allocated a space in its "Milestones" column for an obituary:.

Donald Bradman favoured "horizontal-bat" shots to deal with the bounce and devised a unique grip on the bat handle that would accommodate these strokes without compromising his ability to defend.

Donald Bradman's backswing had a "crooked" look that troubled his early critics, but he resisted entreaties to change.

Donald Bradman's backswing kept his hands in close to the body, leaving him perfectly balanced and able to change his stroke mid-swing, if need be.

Donald Bradman "used the crease" by either coming metres down the pitch to drive, or playing so far back that his feet ended up level with the stumps when playing the cut, hook or pull.

Donald Bradman temporarily adapted his technique during the Bodyline series, deliberately moving around the crease in an attempt to score from the short-pitched deliveries.

Donald Bradman commented that he "would have preferred to remain just Mister".

Donald Bradman accepted offers from the Daily Mail to travel with, and write about, the 1953 and 1956 Australian teams in England.

Donald Bradman retired from his stockbroking business in June 1954, depending on the "comfortable" income earned as a board member of 16 publicly listed companies.

Donald Bradman was honoured at a number of cricket grounds, notably when his portrait was hung in the Long Room at Lord's; until Shane Warne's portrait was added in 2005, Donald Bradman was one of just three Australians to be honoured in this way.

The Oval's Donald Bradman Stand was demolished in 2013 as the stadium underwent an extensive re-development.

Donald Bradman gave the keynote speech at the historic Centenary Test at Melbourne in 1977.

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Donald Bradman formed an alliance with Australian captain Richie Benaud, seeking more attractive play, with some success.

Donald Bradman was criticised for not airing an opinion, but he dealt with World Series Cricket far more pragmatically than other administrators.

On 10 December 1985, Donald Bradman was the first of 120 inaugural inductees into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Donald Bradman spoke of his philosophy for considering the stature of athletes:.

Donald Bradman agreed to an extensive interview for ABC radio, broadcast as Donald Bradman: The Don Declares in eight 55-minute episodes during 1988.

In 2000, Donald Bradman was selected by cricket experts as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century.

In 1999, Donald Bradman was named in the six-man shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Century.

Donald Bradman first met Jessie Martha Menzies in 1920 when she boarded with the Donald Bradman family, to be closer to school in Bowral.

Donald Bradman paid tribute to his wife numerous times, once saying succinctly, "I would never have achieved what I achieved without Jessie".

Donald Bradman's name has become an archetypal name for outstanding excellence, both within cricket and in the wider world.

Donald Bradman has been the subject of more biographies than any other Australian, apart from the bushranger Ned Kelly.

Donald Bradman himself wrote four books: Don Donald Bradman's Book–The Story of My Cricketing Life with Hints on Batting, Bowling and Fielding, My Cricketing Life, Farewell to Cricket and The Art of Cricket.

Donald Bradman has been immortalised in various popular songs of very different styles and eras.

Donald Bradman recorded several songs accompanying himself and others on piano in the early 1930s, including "Every Day Is A Rainbow Day For Me" with Jack Lumsdaine.