Commonly Asked Questions
When did don bradman make his test cricket debut?
Don Bradman played his first test cricket debut in 1928.
What was the nickname of the 1948 Australian cricket team, which he captained?
The invincibles
How many centuries did he score in his test cricket matches?
He made 29 centuries in his test.
What was the position that he held in cricket after his retirement?
Chairman of the Australian cricket board.
What was his wife's name?
Jessie Menzies
What was the reason for his death?
Pneumonia
How many runs did he score in the 1930 Ashes series?
974 Runs.
Donald George Bradman is an Australian cricketer who is given the nickname “Don”. He is regarded as the greatest batsman in the history of cricket because of his average test batting score, which is 99.94, great hand-eye coordination, mental strength and technical skills, and concentration. He is one of the most iconic sportspeople of Australia.
Personal Details
Don Bradman Net Worth | ~ $7 Million |
Full name | Donald George Bradman |
Nickname | The Don, the boy from Bowral |
Date of birth | 27th August 1908 |
Birth place | Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia |
Date of death | 25th February 2001 |
Age at which he died | 92 |
Height | 1.70 meters |
Religion | Christianity |
Batting style | Right handed |
Bowling style | Right arm, leg break |
Role | Batsman |
National side | Australia |
Father’s name | George Bradman |
Mother’s name | Emily Bradman |
Wife’s name | Jessie Martha Menzies |
Married at | St Paul’s Anglican Church, Burwood, Sydney, on 30th April 1932 |
Children | John Bradman, Shirley Bradman |
Grand children | Greta Bradman, Tom Bradman, and Nick Bradman |
Bradman Education and Early Life
Don Bradman was born on 27th August 1908, in Cootamundra, New South Wales.
He had spent his early life in a small country town named Bowral, where his family moved in 1911. He had attended the Bowral Public School. He later went to the Bowral Intermediate High School.
He had never attended coaching for batting; he used to throw a golf ball at the curved brick base of his family’s water tank, which helped him develop strong and fast reflexes.
He scored 55 not out in his first competitive match at the age of 11.
Then, at the age of 12, he scored 115 not out for his high school, thus making his first century.
He left school in 1922 and began working as a clerk in a local real estate office. His employer was supportive of his sporting career, and he continued. He played tennis for two years, but later gave up tennis to pursue cricket full-time in 1925 – 1926.
He played in the St George district cricket club in Sydney. He made his first-class debut for Bowral Public School against Mittagong High School, where he scored a century.
Military Service Career
He joined the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve (RAAF) in June 1940, at the age of 31.
Later, he served as a lieutenant in the citizen military force (army) in October 1940. He was posted to the Army School of Physical Training as a physical and recreational training officer.
However, he later developed health conditions that made him unfit for the service, like difficulty in vision and widespread muscle pain ( in medical terms, it is called fibrositis). Due to this, in April 1941, he was discharged from his military service. He had served during 1940-1941, during the Second World War. His medical conditions cost him valuable years of his cricket career.
Don Bradman's Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Sir Don Bradman is around $7 million USD, as of 2025. His yearly salary was around £1,000.
Don Bradman Stats
First-class Statistics
Innings | Not out | Highest | Aggregate | Average | 100s | |
Ashes Test | 63 | 7 | 334 | 5028 | 89.78 | 19 |
All tests | 80 | 10 | 334 | 6996 | 99.94 | 29 |
Sheffield Shield | 96 | 15 | 452 | 8926 | 110.19 | 36 |
All First Class | 338 | 43 | 452 | 28067 | 95.14 | 117 |
Grade | 93 | 17 | 303 | 6598 | 86.80 | 28 |
All second class | 331 | 64 | 320 | 22664 | 84.80 | 94 |
Grand Total | 669 | 107 | 452 | 50731 | 90.27 | 211 |
Batting Career Statistics
Format | Matches | Innings | Not out | Runs | Highest Score | Strike Rate | 100s |
Test (1928- 1948) | 52 | 80 | 10 | 6996 | 334 | 72.2 | 29 |
Bowling Career Statistics
Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Wicket | Economy Rate | Average | Strike Rate |
Test (1928- 1948) | 52 | 9 | 72 | 3 | 2.70 | 36.0 | 80.0 |
Fielding Career Statistics
Format | Catches | Runs Out | Stumpings |
Test (1928- 1948) | 32 | 0 | 0 |
Domestic cricket career
He began his career in cricket in Bowral. He scored his first century for Bowral Public School at the age of 12 ( scored 115).
His performance led him to be invited by the Sydney Grade Cricket, where he played from the 1926-1927 season. There, he made his debut with a century (110 ) runs. In the 1933-1934 season, he played for North Sydney and for Kensington in Adelaide.
He scored 117 first-class centuries, which is the highest for the Australian cricket team. Among those, there are 37 double centuries and six triple centuries.
In the Sheffield Shield, he played for two states:
- New South Wales, from the years 1927/28 to 1933/34.
In 1927, at the age of 19, he made his first-class debut for New South Wales against South Australia, where he scored 118.
On January 3, 1930, while playing for New South Wales against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he scored 452 runs. It was a world record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket ( at that time), and continues to remain a record for Australian first-class cricket history.
- South Australia
He played there during the years 1935/1936 to 1948/1949
He was selected as the captain of South Australia, a position he held till his retirement in 1949.
He scored 117, 233, and 357 in the first three innings for South Australia.
In 1936, he scored 369 against the Tasmanian cricket team, which is the highest first-class score at the Adelaide Oval.
His last domestic matches were for South Australia in the season 1948/1949
Also read: Jos Butler
International Cricket Career
Test Cricket Career Statistics (1928 to 1948)
He made his debut in test cricket on 30th November 1928 against England.
Category | Statistics |
Matches | 52 |
Runs scored | 6996 |
Batting Average | 99.94 |
Centuries | 29 |
Double centuries | 12 |
Triple centuries | 2 |
Last test | 18th August 1948 against England |
The Ashes
He played 37 of his 52 test cricket matches against the England team Ashes.
- Runs vs England are 5028
- Average vs England is 89.78
- Centuries vs England is 19
In 1930, at the age of 21, he scored 974 runs in the five-test series, which remains a record to date.
He set the then world record for individual score of 334 at Headingley.
“The invincibles” is the nickname given to the Australian cricket team. He led the team to 25 wins, nine draws in the five-test Ashes series 4-0.
Awards and Achievements
- Highest batting average in test cricket (99.94)
- Highest number of consecutive centuries in tests (6 successive centuries in the years 1937-38).
- Highest number of runs in a series as a captain ( 810 runs, including 3 centuries and one half-century).
- Received knighthood in 1949 ( till now, he is the only Australian player to receive knighthood).
- Received the companion of the order of Australia
- Highest number of double centuries ( 12), which was a world record for 70 years
- The most runs scored in a single day’s play (309 at Headingley, in the year 1930)
- Received the Bicentennial Athlete of the Century award in the year 1988.
Also read: Cameroon Green
Conclusion
Don Bradman is a legendary player. He died on 25th February, 2001, in Kensington Park, Australia. He was aged 92.
He died of pneumonia ( according to many sources). He was buried in Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, Australia. His age at the time of death was 92. He is surely the greatest batsman in the history of cricket.
