Sir Donald Bradman is regarded as the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen. To Australians he is considered a national treasure, a symbol of Australian identity.
Bradman known as "The Don", scored 309 not out during the one day of the Leeds Test on his first tour of England in 1930. A few years later, during the English tour of Australia in 1932-33, the English team introduced bodyline bowling to combat his remarkable talents. Even Bradman's retirement from cricket in 1949, after achieving an extraordinary test average of 99.94 runs seemed only to increase his fame and the admiration of his followers.
Born into a farming family in Yeo Yeo, NSW on 27 August 1908, Bradman learnt to play cricket by throwing a golf ball at a water tank and hitting it with a stump. He made his first century at the age of 12 playing for Bowral against Mittagong and was selected for his first test match against England in 1928.
Scoring as no one had ever scored before (or since), Bradman made his runs at the rate of 50 an hour and scored numerous centuries, double centuries and treble centuries. He was remarkable for his nervous stamina, concentration and complete coolness in the face of crisis.
