The Ashes legends: The one above all - Sir Donald Bradman

Sir Don Bradman acknowledges the crowd

When the Ashes returned after the war years and England toured Australia in 1946-47, Bradman retained his spot as captain but it would only last a few more years, culminating in the 1948 tour to England. It was Bradman’s last but it was not his least, as he had the honour of leading the team that is known to history as the Invicibles.

The signs of greatness were already there in the ’46-47 Ashes series, although there is a lot to be said for the number of players England lost during the war. Australia took full advantage of those losses, winning three of the five Tests and drawing the other two, leaving England without victory. Bradman got 187 in the first Test and 234 in the second, but it was the 1948 tour that, like 1930, we will remember Bradman for.

The Invincibles were the twentieth Australian side to tour England and they were undefeated again. Seven of the batsmen took 1000 first class runs on the tour and seven bowlers took fifty or more first class wickets. In a tour match against Essex, the Australians piled up an amazing 721 runs on the first day. Several of the players got centuries, including the captain.

Donald Bradman started the tour in his usual way – by getting a stack of runs in the tour match against Worcestershire. He followed it with the 187 against Essex. He got 138 in the first Test at Nottingham; 138 in the third Test at Manchester and his final Test century for Australia and his 19th against England came in the fourth Test at Leeds.

The extraordinary career of an extraordinary man, who was characterised as aloof and hardworking and who was a teetotaller who rarely celebrated victories and milestones with his team mates, came to an end at the Oval in the year 1948. Nicknamed “Braddles” by his team mates and “The Don” to many generations of Australians – those who have passed and many that are yet to come – the man himself needed just 4 runs in that final Test if he were to finish with an astonishing career average of 100.

He was bowled for a duck by Eric Hollies. He had to settle for the still enviable career average of 99.94. Not put off, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced that their contact details would henceforth be PO Box 9994 in each capital city. It remains that way today.

Sir Don Bradman bowled for a duck in his final Test match

Some people mock the hero status with which Donald Bradman has been attributed by the Australian public, but perhaps they simply underestimate the importance of sporting success to the people of that country. Perhaps they simply misunderstand the nature of Australians, who appreciate hard work and the ability to come from humble beginnings and become a success through nothing but hard work.

Whatever it is, we do hold Bradman in high esteem. When he passed away in February 2001, the country was in mourning. While other countries remember presidents or Kings and Queens, wars or revolutions, Australia shall remember the Don.