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SYDNEY, Australia (TheSportsNext) August 27, 2012: The Australian newspaper Herald Sun recently published over a hundred points spanning the whole life and cricket career of legendary cricketer Sir Don Bradman.
TheSportsNext.com is publishing the Over 100 Facts About Sir Don Bradman for its valued readers here.
1. The Bradman surname originated when his grandfather was christened as Bradman instead of the more commonly used Bradnam.
2. Don was born at a nursing home at 89 Adams Street, Cootamundra, 320km south-west of Sydney, on August 27th, 1908.
3. He was the youngest of five children to George and Emily Bradman, following sisters Lilian, Islet and May, and brother Victor.
4. He was delivered by midwife 'Grannie' Scholz.
5. When Don was two years of age, the family moved to a weatherboard house in Shepherd St, Bowral.
6. He started kindergarten in September 1913, aged 5.
7. He started at the Bowlral school the following year.
8. His best subject was mathematics.
9. He caught the measles on May, 19, 1915.
10. He sang at the Kangaloon concert on August 24, 1920, three days before his eighth birthday.
11. He first went to the city of Sydney in 1920.
12. He first played competitive tennis aged 10 years and ten months
13. His father first took him to the SCG in 1921.
14. As a teenager he honed his reflexes and developed eye movement and co-ordination by hitting a golf ball with a stump into the brick base of the family water tank.
15. Bradman was taught the piano by his elder sister Lilian.
16. He first met his future wife at the age of 12 when Jessie Menzies lived at the Bradman house and attended the Bowral school in 1920.
17. Bradman's first game of organized cricket was at 11 for his school at Glebe Park, Bowral. He batted at number 4 and scored 55 not out.
18. At the age of 12, Bradman played for the Bowral High School senior XI. In his second game, he scored his first century (115 of the team total of 156) on the oval that now bears his name. He also took eight wickets.
19. Bradman left school in 1922 at the age of 14. He began work for Percy Westbrook as a clerk in a Bowral real estate agency.
20. In 1926, Bradman scored 234 for Bowral against Wingello. One of the opposition bowlers was Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly.
21. In the final match of that season, Bradman scored his first triple century.
22. On October 5, 1926, at the age of 18, Bradman was invited to attend NSW state training. He also agreed to play Sydney grade cricket for St. George.
23. On 27 November, 1926, Bradman turned out for St George for the first time, against Petersham, and scored 110 in as many minutes.
24. In 1927, Bradman was selected to play Sheffield Shield for NSW. In his first game of first class cricket on December 16, 1927, he scored 118 against South Australia on the Adelaide Oval.
25.He became the 20th Australian to score a century on first class debut.
26. He left home in 1928 to live in Sydney.
27. In November 1928, he scored 87 and 132 not out against the touring MCC side.
28. At the age of 20, he was selected in the Test team to play in the First Test against England in Brisbane.
29. Bradman first heard his name announced in the Australian Test team on radio station 2FC.
30. He scored 18 and one and was made 12th man for the Second Test at the SCG _ the only time he was dropped from the Test XI in a 20 year career.
31. In only his fourth Test innings, he scored 112 in the Third Test against England at the MCG.
32. Bradman's highest score in first class cricket was 452 not out for New South Wales against Queensland at the SCG in January 1930.
33. On the 1930 tour he began with 236 against Worcester, making him the youngest overseas player to score a double century in England.
34.On tour he scored six double-centuries, ten centuries and fifteen half-centuries.
35. In the Test matches Bradman scored 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 and 232 - a total of 974 runs at an amazing average of 139.14.
36. On tour Bradman scored almost 3000 runs at an average of 98.66.
37.His innings of 334 at Headingley included 309 runs in a single day _ an achievement that won the award for the single most outstanding performance by an Australian male athlete in the 1988 Sports Australia Bi-centenary awards.
38. In December 1931 Bradman scored 100 runs in 3 overs at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. Bradman made 256 comprising 14 sixes and 29 fours.
39. Bradman played only one series against South Africa, finishing with 806 runs at an average of 201.50.
40. Bradman's success in England in 1930 enticed England to adopt new tactics for the 1932-33 series _ leg theory short pitched bowling named Bodyline.
41. Bradman's scoring feast was curtailed, yet he still averaged 56.57.
42. Don and Jessie Menzies were married by Canon E. S. Hughes at St Paul's Burwood, Sydney on April 30, 1932.
43. Bradman met American baseball star ``Babe'' Ruth at Yankee Stadium, New York in 1932. He was on his honeymoon and part of an Arthur Mailey tour of the US and Canada.
44. Bradman accepted a position with a stockbroking company in Adelaide and he and Jessie arrived in Adelaide early in 1934.
45. Bradman scored a century on debut for SA.
46. At the end of the 1934 tour of England, Bradman contracted acute appendicitis and was so gravely ill newspapers prepared obituaries.
47. In 1936, their first child, a son, lived only a day. Three years later, they had another son, John, while daughter Shirley was born in 1941.
48. In his 80 Test innings (10 not out), Bradman scored 6996 runs at an average of 99.94.
49. The next best average is 60.97 by Graeme Pollock of South Africa.
50. He scored 26 per cent of his team?s runs in his Test career.
51. In his first class career, he scored 28,067 runs at an average of 95.14.
52. During his first class career, Bradman scored 200 or more in a single day on 27 occasions.
53. In his 295 first class innings, Bradman made 16 ducks.
54. Bradman bowled 2114 deliveries in first class cricket, capturing 36 wickets at an average of 37.97.
55. His best bowling figures were 3/35 against Oxford University in 1930.
56. Bradman played more games on the Sydney Cricket Ground than any other
venue: a total of 46 matches.
57. The ABC postal address in all capital cities of Australia is Post Office Box 9994, Bradman's Test batting average.
58. Bradman is the only Australian cricketer who has twice scored a century and a duck in the same Test.
59. Bradman was Australia's 21st Test captain.
60. Bradman's last game of cricket was for the Prime Minister's XI against the touring MCC side in Canberra in February, 1963. At the age of 54, The Don was dismissed for 4.
61. Bradman joined the army in 1940 with the rank of Lieutenant. He was discharged in 1941 after 3 spells of fibrositis.
62. Bradman published his book, "Farewell to Cricket" in 1950.
63. Bradman was also a very capable golfer, a pennant player who played at his best off scratch.
64. In 1979, Bradman was created a Companion of the Order of Australia.
65. In addition to his highest score of 452 not out, Bradman scored 5 triple centuries during his career: 340* NSW v Sth Aust 1928-29, 334 Aust v England 1930, 304 Aust v England 1934, 357 Sth Aust v Vic 1935-36 and 369 Sth Aust v Tas 1935-36.
66. During his first class career, Bradman also scored 31 double centuries.
67. Bradman scored an amazing 117 centuries in 295 innings during his career.
68. This represents a century every 2.8 innings.
69. The next best ratio of hundreds per innings by any other player is 5.8 (Graham Hick, England).
70. Bradman is the only Australian player to have scored more than 100 centuries in first class cricket.
71. Bradman achieved this feat in only 295 innings. The next quickest was Denis Compton who needed 552 innings.
72. Bradman is the only player to have scored 100 centuries in first class cricket, without having played in English County cricket.
73. Bradman scored six centuries in consecutive innings during the 1938-39 season. C.B. Fry (Sussex 1901) and M.J. Proctor (Rhodesia 1970-71) are the only other players to have achieved this feat.
74. Bradman scored four centuries in succession on two occasions, 1931-32 and 1948-49.
75. Bradman scored more double centuries (31) in his career than any other batsman in first class cricket.
76. Bradman also performed the unique feat of scoring 10 successive first class 50s during his career.
77. Bradman scored a century in both innings of a first class game on four
occasions: 131 & 133 in 1928-29, 124 & 225 in 1929-30, 107 & 113 in 1937-38 and 132 & 127* in 1947-48.
78. Bradman scored quickly: in innings of 50 or more he scored at a rate of 42 runs per hour, 100 or more at 44 runs/hour, and in innings over 200 he increased his rate to 49 runs/hour.
79. Bradman's fastest first class century took only 70 minutes. This was in his innings of 369 for South Australia against Tasmania, during the 1935-36 season.
80. His slowest century took 253 minutes when he and Bill Brown successfully saved the Trent Bridge Test in 1938.
81. Bradman managed a slightly higher batting average when he was captain. In Tests, he averaged 101.51 when captain compared with 98.69 as a player.
82. In all first class matches, he averaged 98.78 as captain compared with 91.57 as a player.
83. During his Test career, Bradman was never dismissed in the 90s.
84. He was never stumped in Tests.
85. Bradman played first class cricket in only two countries, Australia and England.
86. Bradman's average in the first innings of Test matches was 97.85. His average in the second innings was 104.50.
87. Bradman's Test centuries were scored at the following grounds: Melbourne 9, Leeds 4, Brisbane 4, Nottingham 3, Adelaide 3, Lords 2, The Oval 2 and Sydney 2.
88. In Tests that resulted in an Australian victory, Bradman averaged 130.08.
In drawn games, his average was 111.90 and in Test losses his average was 43.27.
89. On four occasions, Bradman scored a century in both innings of a first class match.
90. Bradman toured England four times, 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1948: the last two as captain.
91. Bradman is the only Australian cricketer to be knighted (in 1949) for services to cricket.
92. Bradman's father George died aged 85 at Berrima, NSW, on April 18, 1961.
93. His mother Emily died aged 73 at Campbelltown NSW, on December 16, 1944.
94. In 1933 successfully sat his New South Wales Cricket Umpires Exam. After retirement as a player, Bradman would umpire South Australian Grade cricket matches when time permitted.
95. In his debut first class match on tour, Bradman scored 236 against Worcester. This unleashed a furious onslaught against English bowlers that was to shake the English establishment to its very foundations. In the Test matches of 1930, Bradman scored 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 and 232 - a total of 974 runs at an amazing average of 139.14.96. Bradman's incredible feats in the early 1930s were of such a magnitude that the English team began to think of ways to curb Bradman's brilliance for the up-coming tour to Australia in 1932-33 with Bodyline.
97. Bradman's scoring was restricted but he still managed an average of 56.67.
98. On 13 September 1960, he became the first former Test player to be elected chairman of the Board of Control.
99.In 1958 he was made a life member of the MCC.
100. Height 173cm
101. Blue eyes
102. Other sports: tennis, golf, squash, rugby league and athletics (school).
103. Favourite leisure activities were the piano and billiards.
104. Favourite food was rice pudding.
105. Favourite drink was tea.
106. Bradman captained Australia 24 times, winning 15 matches and losing 3
107. Bradman and Syd Barnes still hold the record 5th wicket partnership for any country - 405 v England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1946-47
108. Bradman scored 28,067 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 95.15, with a top score of 452 not out
109. Bradman was Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931
110. Bradman played for New South Wales from 1927-28 to 1933-34, then moved to Adelaide and played for South Australia from 1935-36 to 1948-49
111. 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)
112. Bradman still holds the record wicket partnerships for Tests against all countries for the second, fourth, fifth and sixth wickets.
113. In Bradman?s 70 Tesy dismissals, 39 were caught (59%) including 10 by the wicketkeeper and 23 bowled (33%). He was LBW 6 times, run out once and hit wicket once
114. Bradman scored 4 centuries in 5 innings against South Africa, including a top score of 299 not out.
115. Bradman took 32 catches in his 52 test matches, and took 2 wickets bowling leg spin (one against England, the other against West Indies
116. Against India, Bradman averaged 178.75 in 6 innings. His average against all countries in 80 innings was 99.94
117. Against India, Bradman scored 4 centuries and 1 half century in 6 innings .
118. Bradman's average in test matches reached 50 with his 3rd innings, and stayed above 50 for the rest of his career.
119. Bradman was voted the greatest male athlete of the past 200 years by the Australian Confederation of Sport in 1988.
120. In 1989, the Bradman Museum opened in Bowral. The first ever museum devoted to an Australian in his or her lifetime.
121. Bradman was 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 was Rupert Murdoch. Bradman was one of only 3 athletes selected, the other two were boxer Muhammad Ali and soccer player Pele.
122. He was nominated among the Top Ten sportspeople of the 20th century by the World Confederation of Sport.
123. He was named Male Athlete of the Century in 1999 by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
124. He was voted sixth, and the highest ranked Australian, in Reuter's Sports Personality of the 20th Century list
125. He was ranked the No.1 Australian Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated magazine.
126. In 2000 he was voted the greatest cricketer of the 20th century by Wisden Cricket Almanack. This decision was unanimous amongst the 100 judges.
127. He was nominated captain of the Australian Cricket Team of the Century.
128. The Sir Donald Bradman Rose was dedicated to him and released in June, 2002.
129. On 5 January 1974, Sir Donald and Lady Bradman attended the opening at the SCG of the Bradman Stand.
130. Bradman was feted at the annual Lord Taverner's dinner in London in March of 1974.
131. In September, 1976, he attended the opening of the Bradman Oval in Bowral.
132. 1989, the Bradman Museum opened in Bowral _ the first ever museum devoted to an Australian in his or her lifetime.
133. On 16 June 1979, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia.
134. Don and Jessie Bradman celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in April 1997. She died four months later on 14 September 1997.
135. On 25 February 2001 he died peacefully at his home in Adelaide aged ninety-two.
136. The ashes of Don and Jessie Bradman were scattered around the gardens and Oval in Bowral.
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