Sir Donald George Bradman was an Australian cricketer who was called the best batsman in the history of Test cricket. With an unbelievable batting average of 99.94 in Tests, he is one of the best athletes ever to play any major sport. He loved cricket from a young age, so it’s not surprising that he became one of the most famous people in the game. As a child, he loved to play cricket. When he couldn’t find other boys to play with, he made up a game he could play by himself. He was born with a natural talent for sports and the stamina to play for a long time. He would have been great at any sport he played. He chose cricket because he loved the game so much, and he made the game better with all of his great accomplishments. He set a lot of records and won a lot of games for his team because he never lost focus and hit the ball hard. World War II took him away from the game for a while, but when he came back he came back with a vengeance and built one of the best Australian teams ever. Even though he has been retired for decades, his name still gives cricket players all over the world hope.
Childhood and Adolescence
He was born on August 27, 1908, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, to George and Emily Bradman. He was the youngest of three sisters and one brother.
From a young age, he enjoyed cricket. He invented a game of solo cricket using a cricket stump as a bat and a golf ball because he was athletic and naturally talented.
While attending Bowral Public School, he played cricket for his school team and achieved his first century at the age of 12.
In 1922, he dropped out of school and went to work for a local real estate agent. Fortunately, Bradman’s boss recognized his passion for cricket and allowed him to take time off whenever he needed it.
Sir Bradman’s Career
When he was 19, he made his first-class debut at the Adelaide Oval. He made an immediate impact with the bat, scoring 118 runs in his debut.
In November 1928, he played his first Test match against England. Despite a disappointing performance in his test debut, he showed his talent in the third test of the series, hitting 79 and 112, becoming the youngest player to score a Test century at the time.
He was selected to play in the 1930 Ashes series against England, scoring 131 runs in the first test and 254 runs in the second. In the third test, he continued his stellar form by hitting two hundred, one in each of the innings. In the third test, he scored a triple century and a double century in the fourth and final exam. The Ashes were won by Australia.
When the globe was hurting from the Great Depression in the 1930s, Australia’s sporting triumphs provided a welcome break. During this time, his fame skyrocketed.
The Ashes series in Australia in 1932-33 proved to be the most difficult of Bradman’s career. English captain Douglas Jardine used ‘Bodyline’ tactics to counter Don Bradman’s batting prowess. The cricket ball was sent towards the batsman’s body on the line of the leg stump. The strategy was thought to be intimidating and physically dangerous.
The strategy worked well in limiting Bradman’s ability to score runs; his batting average in the series was 56. The series was won by England.
During his 1938 tour of England, he was outstanding. During this trip, he batted for 26 innings and hit 13 centuries!
The glory years of his career were cut short by the Second World War. In 1940, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and was found fit for aircrew service.
However, he was quickly transferred to the army and promoted to Lieutenant. He was assigned to the Army School of Physical Training, where the physical demands of the job caused him to become invalided out of service in 1941.
In the mid-1940s, he returned to cricket and played his final Test against England at The Oval in 1948. As fate would have it, the renowned batsman was out for a duck, finishing his test career with a 99.94 average.
Achievements and Awards
Bradman scored 6996 runs at an average of 99.94 in 52 Test Matches (80 Innings). He had 29 test centuries at the time, which was a world record.
Bradman’s record of 974 runs in a series still stands as the most by any player in Test history.
In 1949, he was named a Knight Bachelor for his contributions to cricket, making him the only Australian cricketer to receive the title.
In 1979, he was granted the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) by the Australian government “in appreciation of contributions to the sport of cricket and cricket administration.”
In 2000, Wisden Cricket Almanack named him the greatest cricketer of the twentieth century, with 100 judges voting unanimously.
Personal History and Legacy
He met Jessie Martha Menzies in 1920 and married her after a long courtship in 1932. In their 65-year marriage, she was a rock for him and the couple complemented each other well.
His personal life was beset by issues involving his children. One son died as an infant, while the other had polio. He also had a cerebral palsy-affected daughter.
He was quite devoted to his wife, and her death in 1997 devastated him. At the age of 92, he died on February 25, 2001.
Estimated Net worth
Donald is one of the cricket players with the most money, and he is also one of the most popular cricket players. Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider all say that Donald Bradman’s net worth is about $1.5 million.
Trivia
He is the only player in Test history to score 300 runs in a single day’s play.
Bradman’s final test resulted in a duck. He was only 4 runs short of a test average of 100.