Don Bradman –
The Greatest Ever
Did you know that Sir Donald’s average in Test matches reached 50 with his 3rd innings, and stayed above 50 for the rest of his career? This is just one of the interesting facts and statistics you’ll find here.
- Bradman’s Career Statistics
- How many Sixes did Don Bradman hit in his Test career?
- How many Test wickets did he take?
- When was Don’s first century?
- Was Don Bradman nervous in his first Test appearance?
- Current test records still held by Don Bradman
- Awards & Honours
- Some extra facts about Sir Donald Bradman
Bradman’s Career Statistics
- Matches
- First Class
- Second Class
- Test Matches
- Tests v England
- Sheffield Shield
- Grade Cricket
- All Matches
- Innings
- 338
- 331
- 80
- 63
- 96
- 93
- 669
- N.O
- 43
- 64
- 10
- 7
- 15
- 17
- 107
- Runs
- 28,067
- 22,664
- 6,996
- 5,028
- 8,926
- 6,598
- 50,731
- H.S.
- 452*
- 320*
- 334
- 334
- 452*
- 303
- 452*
- Ave
- 95.14
- 84.80
- 99.94
- 89.78
- 110.19
- 86.80
- 90.27
- Centuries
- 117
- 94
- 29
- 19
- 36
- 28
- 211
How many Sixes did Don Bradman hit in his Test career?
Don hit just six sixes in his Test career, five v. England and one v. India. He also hit two fives and a staggering 618 fours in Test cricket.
How many Test wickets did he take?
Two. The first was taken in December 1930. A West Indies player, Ivan Barrow, LBW to Bradman for 27 runs, first Test in Adelaide, second innings. The second was when he bowled Walter Hammond for 85 runs in the spiteful third Test in Adelaide, January 1933, second innings.
When was Don’s first century?
Don Bradman’s first century (115 n.o.) was played when he was 12 ie. the 1920/21 season. The young Don was playing for Bowral School against Mittagong School. The exact date is unknown.
Was Don Bradman nervous in his first Test appearance?
Don Bradman has been recorded as feeling a great ease when playing cricket, and unlike many others, he has described himself as being fortunate not to suffer nerves like so many other batsman.
Fellow teammates have also described his confidence and ability to concentrate his performance particularly when rising to dangers and difficulties at the crease.
Walter Hammond, former England Test Captain: “I was forced to admire the cool way Don batted. On one or two occasions, when he was well set, and when he saw me move a fieldsman, he would raise his gloved hand to me in mock salute, and then hit the next ball exactly over the place from which the man had just been moved. Reluctantly I had to admit once more that he was out of the ordinary run of batsmen – a genius!”
Bill Brown, former Australian Test batsman: “He could analyse the game much more deeply and quickly than the average player. He controlled the game so much when he was at the wicket.”
CB Fry, former England Test cricketer: “This young man owes half his perfection to an outright power of concentration”.
Current test records still held by Don Bradman
- Highest Individual Test Batting Average (minimum 15 innings) 99.94
- Highest Test Batting Average for a 5-Test Series 201.50 (v South Africa, Australia, 1931-32)
- Equal top-scorer of triple centuries (with Lara) 2
- 5th wicket partnership (with Sid Barnes 1946-47) 405
- Only Test batsman to score more than 5,000 runs v an opponent (5,028 v England)
- 7 times scored 500 or more runs in a Test series (Equal with Lara)
- Six times scored centuries in an interval (once pre lunch, twice lunch-tea, three times tea-stumps)
- Scored the most runs in a single day’s play 309 v England, Leeds, 1930
Awards & Honours
- Knighted in 1949. The only Australian cricketer ever to receive a knighthood and the first Test cricketer so honoured.
- Received a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1979.
- Voted the greatest male athlete of the past 200 years by the Australian Confederation of Sport in 1988.
- Selected as one of only two Australians by International Who’s Who top 100 people who have done the most to shape the 20th century. The other (former) Australian selected was Rupert Murdoch
- Nominated among the Top Ten sportspeople of the 20th century by the World Confederation of Sport.
- Named Male Athlete of the Century in 1999 by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- Ranked the No.1 Australian Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated magazine.
- In 2000 he was voted the greatest cricketer of the 20th century by Wisden Cricket Almanack. This decision was unanimous amongst the 100 judges.
- Nominated captain of the Australian Cricket Team of the Century
Some extra facts about Sir Donald Bradman
Did you know….
- Don Bradman scored 28,067 runs in First-class cricket at an average of 95.15, with a top score of 452 not out
- The record for the highest partnership for any wicket by Australia against all countries was established by Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford at The Oval in 1934 (451 for the second wicket)
- Against India, Don Bradman averaged 178.75 in 6 innings. His average against all countries in 80 innings was 99.94
- In his Test career, Don Bradman scored 26% of the team’s total runs
- Don Bradman described himself as “predominately a back foot player”
- Bradman’s average in Test matches reached 50 with his 3rd innings, and stayed above 50 for the rest of his career
- Don Bradman’s batting average over his career in Test matches against all countries was 99.94 – if he had remained not out or scored 4 more runs and lost his wicket in his final Test innings at The Oval in 1948, he would have averaged 100 per innings
