Donald Bradman Biography

Sir Donald George Bradman, AC, often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 is often cited as the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.

The story that the young Bradman practised alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball is part of Australian folklore. Bradman's meteoric rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years. Before his 22nd birthday, he had set many records for top scoring, some of which still stand, and became Australia's sporting idol at the height of the Great Depression.

During a 20-year playing career, Bradman consistently scored at a level that made him, in the words of former Australia captain Bill Woodfull, "worth three batsmen to Australia". A controversial set of tactics, known as Bodyline, was specifically devised by the England team to curb his scoring. As a captain and administrator, Bradman was committed to attacking, entertaining cricket; he drew spectators in record numbers. He hated the constant adulation, however, and it affected how he dealt with others. Source: Wikipedia

Marriages

• 1932-04-30
  Cricketer Donald Bradman (23) weds Jessie Martha Menzies at St Paul's Anglican Church in Burwood, Sydney

Donald Bradman Timeline

• 1926-11-10
  Bradman plays his 1st State selection trial He only made 37
• 1927-12-16
  Cricket 1st-class debut of Don Bradman, NSW v South Australia
• 1927-12-17
  Bradman scores 118 on 1st-class cricket debut, 188 mins 8 fours
• 1928-01-30
  Bradman scores 134 not out (225 mins, 13 fours) NSW v Vic
• 1928-10-28
  Bradman scores 131 NSW v Queensland, 212 mins, 14 fours
• 1928-11-01
  Bradman scores a century each innings (131 & 133*), NSW v Qld
• 1928-11-13
  Bradman scores 132* for NSW against MCC
• 1928-11-30
  Test Cricket debut of Don Bradman, who scored 18 & 1 vs England
• 1928-12-14
  2nd Test Cricket Australia v England starts with Bradman 12th man
• 1929-01-03
  Bradman scores 112 v England at MCG - his 1st Test century
• 1929-01-25
  Bradman scores 340* for NSW v Victoria, 488 mins, 38 fours
• 1929-03-13
  Bradman scores 123 Aust v England at MCG, his 2nd Test Cricket century
• 1929-11-22
  Bradman scores 157 for NSW against the MCC at cricket SCG
• 1929-12-07
  Bradman scores 124 for Woodfull's XI against Ryder's XI 166 mins
• 1929-12-10
  Bradman scores 225 in 2nd inn of Test Cricket trial after 124 in 1st
• 1930-01-06
  Bradman scores 452* for NSW against Qld, 377 mins, 49 fours
• 1930-05-01
  Bradman scores 236 Aust v Worcs, his 1st f-class innings in Eng
• 1930-05-05
  Bradman scores 185* Aust v Leicestershire, 317 mins, 16 fours
• 1930-05-24
  Bradman scores 252* Australia v Surrey, 290 mins, 29 fours
• 1930-05-31
  Bradman gets his 1,000th run of the English Cricket season
• 1930-06-01
  Bradman scores cricket 191 Australia v Hampshire, 240 mins, 26 fours
• 1930-06-17
  Bradman scores 131 in the 1st Test cricket at Trent Bridge
• 1930-06-30
  Don Bradman scores 254 for Australia at Lord's v England, 320 mins, 25 fours
• 1930-07-11
  Bradman scores 309 in a day vs England at Leeds, goes on to 334
• 1930-07-12
  Bradman out for 334 in Test Cricket at Headingley, 383 mins, 46 fours
• 1930-08-20
  Bradman scores 232 in 5th Test Cricket at The Oval
• 1930-12-15
  Don Bradman takes his 1st Test Cricket wicket (Ivan Barrow, WI, lbw)
• 1930-12-18
  Bradman scores 258 NSW v South Aust, 289 mins, 37 fours
• 1931-01-16
  Bradman scores 223 Australia v WI, 297 mins, 26 fours
• 1931-01-28
  Bradman scores 220 NSW v Victoria, 308 mins, 13 fours
• 1931-02-14
  Bradman scores 152 Aust v WI, 154 minutes, 13 fours 2 fives
• 1931-03-04
  Bradman bowled by Herman Griffith for a duck as W I win the Test
• 1931-11-17
  Bradman scores 135 NSW v South Africa, 128 mins, 15 fours
• 1931-11-27
  1st Test Cricket match at the Gabba Bradman scores 200 on 1st day
• 1931-11-28
  Bradman scores 226, the 1st Test Cricket century at Gabba, v South Africa
• 1931-12-07
  Bradman scores 219 NSW v South Africa, 234 mins, 15 fours
• 1931-12-19
  Bradman scores 112 Australia v South Africa at cricket SCG
• 1932-01-04
  Bradman scores 167 for Australia v South Africa at the MCG
• 1932-01-25
  Bradman scores 167 NSW v Victoria, 224 mins, 22 fours
• 1932-02-01
  Bradman makes 299* vs South Africa, runs out partner going for 300th
• 1932-07-04
  Bradman scores 260, a North American record, v Western Ontario
• 1932-07-07
  Bradman scores a cricket double century in Montreal
• 1932-11-07
  Bradman scores 238 NSW v Victoria, 200 mins, 32 fours
• 1932-11-26
  Bradman completes 10,000 runs in first-class cricket, 126 innings
• 1932-12-30
  Bradman out for a duck v England at cricket MCG
• 1933-01-02
  Bradman scores 103* against the Bodyline attack in the 2nd Test
• 1933-01-17
  Bradman takes second Test wicket, Hammond, bowled
• 1933-11-04
  Bradman scores 200 NSW v Queensland, 184 mins, 26 fours
• 1933-12-26
  Bradman scores 187* NSW v Victoria, 294 mins, 13 fours
• 1934-01-02
  Bradman scores 253 NSW v Queensland, 204 mins, 29 fours 4 sixes
• 1934-01-26
  Bradman scores 128 NSW v Victoria, 96 mins, 17 fours 4 sixes
• 1934-05-03
  Bradman scores 206 Aust v Worcestershire, 210 mins, 27 fours
• 1934-05-09
  Bradman out for a Cricket duck against Cambridge University!
• 1934-05-28
  Bradman gets 160 Aust v Middlesex, 124 mins, 27 fours, 1x6, 1x5
• 1934-07-16
  Bradman scores 140 Aust v Yorkshire, 120 mins, 22 fours 2 sixes
• 1934-07-23
  Bradman completes 304 at Headingley, 430 mins, 43 fours 2 sixes
• 1934-08-18
  Bradman scores 244 in 5th Test Cricket, 316 mins, 32 fours 1 six
• 1934-08-18
  Ponsford & Bradman make 451 partnership in 316 minutes v Eng
• 1934-09-04
  Bradman scores 149* Aust v Eng XI, 104 mins, 17 fours 4 sixes
• 1934-09-08
  Bradman scores 132 v Leveson-Gower XI, 90 mins, 24 fours 1 six
• 1935-12-18
  Bradman scores 117 in his 1st Shield cricket match for South Australia
• 1935-12-24
  Bradman scores 233 in 191 mins, SA v Queensland, 28 fours 1 six
• 1936-01-02
  Bradman scores 357 for SA v Vic, 424 minutes, 40 fours
• 1936-03-02
  Bradman scores 369 in 253 mins, SA v Tasmania, 46 fours 4 sixes
• 1936-10-10
  Bradman scores 212 in 202 mins in a cricket testimonial game
• 1936-11-14
  Bradman scores 192 for S A v Vic before a MCG crowd of 21000
• 1936-12-09
  Australia all out 58 v England, Bradman out for a duck
• 1936-12-21
  Bradman's 2nd consecutive Test Cricket duck! Australia all out 80
• 1937-01-05
  Fingleton & Bradman make record stand of 346 for 6th wkt
• 1937-01-06
  Bradman scores 270 Aust v England at the MCG, incl 110 singles
• 1937-02-03
  Bradman scores 212 (in 441 minutes!) in 5th Test Cricket v England
• 1937-02-13
  Bradman scores 123 SA v Queensland, 165 mins, 10-4s 1-6 in cricket
• 1937-02-27
  Bradman scores 169 in 5th Test Cricket v England in 223 minutes
• 1937-12-27
  Bradman scores 246 SA v Queensland, 364 mins, 20 fours
• 1938-01-08
  Bradman scores 107 for South Australia v Qld (1st innings)
• 1938-01-11
  Bradman scores a second innings 113 v Qld after a ton in the 1st
• 1938-01-18
  Bradman scores 104* for South Australia v NSW at the SCG
• 1938-04-30
  Bradman scores 258 Aust v Worcs, 293 mins, 33 fours 1 five
• 1938-05-16
  In cricket Bradman scores 278 Aust v MCC, 349 mins, 35 fours 1 six
• 1938-05-21
  Don Bradman scores 143 Austalia v Surrey, 198 mins, 11 fours
• 1938-05-27
  Bradman scores his 1000th cricket run of English season, earliest to do so
• 1938-06-14
  Bradman scores 144* in 1st Test Cricket at Trent Bridge
• 1938-06-21
  Bradman scores 101* in 77 minutes, Australia v Lancashire
• 1938-06-28
  Bradman scores 102* in drawn 2nd Test cricket at Lord's
• 1938-07-23
  Bradman scores 103 in 178 mins on a Headingley sticky, 3rd Test
• 1938-07-28
  Bradman scores 202 Aust v Somerset, 225 mins, 32 fours
• 1938-12-16
  Bradman scores 143 South Aust v NSW, 11 fours 91 singles
• 1938-12-26
  Bradman scores 225 South Aust v Qld before Christ gets him out
• 1939-01-02
  Bradman scores 107 SA v Victoria, his 4th consecutive century
• 1939-01-10
  Bradman hits 186 SA v Qld before Christ catches him at short-leg
• 1939-01-18
  SA wicketkeeper Bradman gets his 6th straight ton, 135* v NSW
• 1939-12-16
  Bradman scores 251* SA v NSW, 271 minutes, 38 fours 2 sixes
• 1939-12-22
  Bradman scores 138 in South Australia's 7-821 v Queensland
• 1939-12-30
  Bradman scores 267 SA v Vic, world record 34th double cricket century
• 1940-02-13
  Bradman scores 209* in 161 minutes for South Aust at the WACA
• 1940-02-17
  Bradman scores 135 in a non-Shield match for SA v West Australia
• 1940-12-25
  Bradman out 1st ball for SA v Victoria before 6213
• 1945-12-31
  Bradman scores 112, his 1st post-War century, SA v Aust Services
• 1946-11-13
  Bradman scores 106 for an Australian XI v the MCC
• 1946-11-19
  Bradman scores 119 South Australia v Victoria, 183 mins, 8 fours
• 1946-11-30
  Bradman scores 187 in 1st Test Cricket v England at the Gabba
• 1946-12-01
  Australia compile 645 v India at the Gabba (Bradman 187)
• 1946-12-17
  Bradman & Barnes complete 405 run 5th wkt stand, score 234 ea
• 1947-02-03
  Bradman bowled by Alec Bedser for a duck in 4th Test Cricket
• 1947-10-25
  Bradman scores 156 for SA v the Indians, 152 mins, 22 fours
• 1947-11-08
  Bradman scores his 99th 1st-class cricket century, 100 SA v Victoria
• 1947-11-15
  Bradman scores his 100th 100, 172 v Indians at the SCG
• 1947-12-01
  Don Bradman scores 185 in the 1st Cricket Test v India at the Gabba
• 1948-01-01
  Bradman scores 132 in the 1st innings of the 3rd Test v India
• 1948-01-03
  Bradman completes dual Test tons (132 & 127*) v India MCG
• 1948-01-23
  Bradman scores 201 in 272 mins v India, 21 fours 1 six
• 1948-01-24
  Australia all out 674 v India (Bradman 201, Hassett 198*)
• 1948-02-06
  Bradman retires hurt, 57 in his last Test Cricket innings in Australia
• 1948-03-15
  Bradman scores 115 for the Australian cricket team v Western Australia
• 1948-04-29
  Bradman scores 107 Aust v Worcs, 152 mins, 15 fours
• 1948-05-08
  Bradman scores 146 Aust v Surrey, 174 mins, 15 fours
• 1948-05-15
  Bradman scores 187 Aust v Essex, 124 minutes, 33 fours 1 five
• 1948-06-12
  Bradman scores 138 in 1st Test Cricket at Trent Bridge
• 1948-06-15
  Bradman is out for a duck, but Australia win test match anyway
• 1948-07-01
  Bradman scores 128 Australia v Surrey, 141 mins, 15 fours
• 1948-07-27
  Bradman's 29th & last Test Cricket century, part of winning 3-404
• 1948-08-10
  Bradman scores 133* Aust v Lancashire, 216 mins, 17 fours
• 1948-08-14
  Bradman's last Test Cricket innings
• 1948-08-25
  Bradman scores 150 in 212 minutes in his last innings at Lord's
• 1948-09-01
  Bradman scores 143 Aust v South of England, 17 fours 1 six
• 1948-09-10
  Bradman scores 153 in his last 1st-class cricket innings in England
• 1948-12-03
  Don Bradman scores his last century, 123 in his own testimonial
• 1949-03-05
  Bradman plays his last innings in 1st-class cricket, gets 30
• 1983-12-28
  Gavaskar achieves his 30th century, beating Bradman's 29

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