The Don! (not Donny)

[couragous cloke]

wouldnt it be interesting to see donald bradman playing test cricket in the new melinium? we've had this arguement many times at school, would he be any good? would he still be 1 of the best or would he be usless, i think he would have trouble keepin up witht eh pace of the new game but would easily adapt. but i suppose u can only wonder which is kinda a tease in a way!

footy ROX!

[This message has been edited by couragous cloke (edited 14 February 2003).]

[Donny]

Some years back, Sir Donald Bradman was asked how he'd fare in today's cricket with all the new training methods, fitness standards, high quality bowling etc.

He answered, "Well, I'd still probably average in the 50s" The young reporter jumped in, saying, "So, you admit you wouldn't be as good as the modern day cricketer?"

"Well, I am 92." chirped the great man.

Donny.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN !!!!

[Brown26]

in his day, training was useless, there was no fitness, the bats were rubbish, injuries were terrible, traveling was extremely harsh (go boats eh) and the culture of a few beers did not improve your performance (unlike boonie.. )

now bradman would have all these benefits. plus growing up in this era he would have been practising against the quicks for so long - he'd still be a champion.

we won't be seeing another in a while.

- Ben

Pies for Premiers 2002, 3, 4, 5, 6....

[BJ]

A test batting average of 99.9 over a 52 test match record. I don't think you need to worry about what era. No-one else has ever gotten close to him, he would be a champion in any era.
He played in a time where quick bowling was just as quick as it is today, batting strips were not covered during rain- hence the term "sticky wicket" and at a time where there were no helmets for head protection.

To put his 29 centuries in perspective, he hit them in a third of the matches that it took Steve Waugh to hit the same number of tons. And we all know Steve Waugh is Bloody champion!

The don also backed up his test record in his first class career, retiring with an overall first class batting average of 95.14.
In total, he hit an amazing 28,067 runs from 338 innings playing for NSW, South Aus and Australia. Including 37 double tons!

[London Dave]

Nice one Donny, I heard a story from Michael Holding, who said after Bradman had been introduced to the Windies team at tea during the Adelaide test (89 I think) Dean Jones made 200+ not out, Merv got 70no from memory. Patrick Patterson was heard to say about Bradman something along the lines of "Look at that little man, I would have no trouble getting him out, a few bouncers and then I'd bowl him"
Holding then replied to Patterson "Mate, you can't even get Merv Hughes out!"

Would he be any good today? Yep, probably better!

[Donny]

What a bloody classic, LD! I'm still laughing.

Anyone with a good Sir Don story, please post it here.

Donny.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN !!!!

[London Dave]

OK Donny, Bradman story #2, and I have a few of em...this one may be apocryphal

Bradman, Dean Jones and Merv Hughes are playing golf in Adelaide, come to a dog leg hole, with a rather large tree covering the dog leg, preventing one from hitting straight for the green. Bradman makes the comment to his two partners, "When I was your age, I could clear that tree." His partners subsequently lose a few balls trying to clear the tree. After winning the hole, Bradman remarks.."Of course when I was your age, the tree was only 6 feet high!"

[Donny]

Bradman's Baggy Green Sold at Auction
Wisden CricInfo staff - June 24, 2003


Don Bradman's baggy green cap, as worn during the 1946-47 Ashes series, has been sold for £35,250 at an auction in London. The buyer, a private Australian collector who lives in London, said he plans to add the cap to his private cricket collection but also hopes to display it in Australia.

"As we were getting ready to auction the cap off, there was a hum of excitement in the room," said Rik Pike, a spokesman for the London auctioneers, Christie's. "And the bidding took a couple of minutes. After we sold it, there was a clap in the room, which you don't always have."

Bradman's teammate, Keith Miller, claimed the pair swapped caps before the first Test against England in November 1946, but Christie's is sure of its authenticity. A bat, used by Bradman to score 232 in the fifth Test at The Oval in 1930, was sold for £29,375 to another collector.

[The Prototype]

Now that would be a good thing to have....it will be worth alot in years to come, I can see it's worth alot now, just imagine how much it will be in around another 100 yrs.

[M@®©]

Champion no matter what era it is would be interesting tho ..... it be like the pies in the 1920's so dominate and the hawks of the 80's none will be any good in this era of footy


http://collingwood.rules.it/

[Donny]

Bradman would dominate any era
Wisden Cricinfo staff - July 11, 2003


At the gathering of over 150 Australian cricketers in Sydney much of the talk was about former players in general, and Don Bradman in particular.

"He'd be averaging 99 these days, believe me," said Arthur Morris, who played under Bradman after the war and was a member of the 1948 Invincibles. "He might even get himself up over the 100 because he was a unique batsman. He had tremendous determination and concentration and he had all the shots. He was amazing. We really can't compare anyone with him. Nobody comes close.

"There have been very good fast bowlers over the years but there were very good fast bowlers in his day, too," Morris continued. "Bodyline was impossible to bat against. If you had all the fast bowlers of today, bowling straight at the head with six fellas on the leg side, how would they go? Bradman had to play against that, and he didn't have a helmet."

Steve Waugh agreed that Bradman would have stood out in the modern game. "If he dominated his era, I think it's fair to say he'd dominate any era, including ours, to a similar degree. A genius is a genius. That's probably the most simple way you can put it."

Bill Brown, at 90 the oldest surviving Australian player and a colleague of Bradman's on the 1934, 1938 and 1948 tours of England, had no doubts that Bradman was in a different class. "He would have been successful whenever he played, one-day cricket, anything," said Brown. "He was just the complete player who seemed to be able to bat as long as he wanted to. He would just go on - 100, 200, 300 and on one occasion 400. That's just unbelievable to the average bloke."

[Donny]

Anthony was asking me about Bradman's sixes record.

In his first class career, he hit 2586 fours and only 44 sixes.

Bradman kept the ball on the ground, even when hooking or pulling, so it's not surprising to note that he hit very few sixes.

Most of them were hit late in a big innings, or when there was nothing in the match.

[Joe]

[Northern Pie]

I think he had the work ethic and moral character to be a champion regardless of his efforts on the Cricket Pitch...from all reports the Man had solid integrity, honesty and the determination to succeed, all of which will hold the man in the highest regard as a true champion of the human race for long after those with memories of the great man's cricketing achievements have faded away too Dust. Anyone with thse attributes will be a champion in any era in my book...

Cheers