Don_Bradman

No other Sportsperson in Australian history has captured the respect and admiration of sporting public and altogether Australian public like Sir Donald George Bradman. On 27 of August 1908, in the small country town of Cootamundra occurred the birth of an Australian legend. On that day the inhabitants of Cootamundra could not have foreseen that he would one day inspire hope to a nation. Sir Donald Bradman, also known as “The Don”, was as an Australian cricketer with a test batting average of 99.94 which statistically is the greatest achievement in any major sport, he was acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. His ambition began when his father took him to the Sydney Cricket ground to watch an Ashes match and he said to his father “I shall never be satisfied, till I play on this ground” maybe it was this kind of attitude that was why he was so loved by the Australian community, even from his humble beginnings playing for his local Bowral team he was a peoples favourite. When he made his test debut for Australia he was caught out early and Australia all out for 66 in the second innings he was dropped to the twelve man for the second test, after an injury Bradman was recalled for the third test and by showing that fighting spirit that us Australians love he scored 79 and 112 runs to become the youngest player to make a test century. In 1930’s and 40’s Australia didn’t just love Bradman just for his batting skills, but he was the spear head for claiming the Ashes, and in the 1930 tour of England, and with the Poms the favourites to win Bradman did just that with massive amounts of runs being hit we won and Bradman was loved by all of Australia The News Chronicle London Quoted “as long as Australia has Bradman she will be invincible” and when well into the great depression it gave Australians something to look forward to and be proud of. Proof of Australia’s absolute love for Donald Bradman was the bodyline series of 1932-1933 when England were so threatened by Bradman huge amounts of runs they invented a new style of bowling and fielding to combat him we lost that Ashes series and the Australian community was up in arms about it our outrage nearly separated us from the mother country. After being defeated by the bodyline Bradman withdrew from the first test and although he was not there the English bowlers still engaged the bodyline tactics against the Australian batsman and won the match, the Australian public demand the return of bradman to defeat the bodyline, Bradmania amounting almost to a religious excitement, demanding his return. Bradman returned for the second test and with a world record crowd of 64 000 came to see their beloved bradman defeat the bodyline and stop the English tyranny as bradman went for his first ball and went for a hook shot the ball failed to rise and was dragged on to the stumps bradman was out for his first duck in test cricket, the crowd fell silent stunned in shock as bradman walked off. Bradman made some of a come back through the rest of the series, the English won the Ashes but the bodyline series had been a battle between Douglas Jardine and Donald Bradman and although Jardine won the battle Bradman won the war. Bradman went on with the rest of his career unmatched. Bradmans long and prosperous career inspired the nation through the toughest of times and from his humble beginnings as the “boy from Bowral” and his strive to be the best he can be to the greatest batsman of all time, and in 2001 Sir Donald George Bradman was called the greatest living Australian by the Prime Minister John Howard but I think he could be the greatest Australian ever.