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One of my defining sporting memories as a young boy was the day my history teacher told me about Don Bradman. Now dear old Mr Mitchell was possibly the most tediously boring man I have ever met and his history lessons were pure hell. He loved the sound of his own voice and would drone endlessly on for hours and it really was a desperate struggle for us just to stay awake during his mind-numbingly dull monologues. He would also insist that we write down word for word what he was saying. Noose – worthy was how we used to describe it.
However he LOVED cricket and when he spoke on this subject his voice took on a different timbre, his eyes lit up and his enthusiasm was infectious. Before entering the classroom for his tortuous lessons, we would talk about how we might distract him. Cricket was always the answer.
The day he told us about Bradman I sat in rapt awe and disbelief as he described his achievements. Now, for me, there have been several sporting greats. Ali, Pele, Federer, Nicklaus – legends that were so far ahead of their peers.
But no one compared to Bradman.
A career average of 99.94!!! 99.94 compared to the next best OF ALL TIME, that of Graeme Pollock at 60.97. A difference of 39 runs!!!
Mr Mitchell described in wonderful detail that last test match when he walked out to bat at the Oval needing just 4 runs to make his overall career average 100. How every man, woman and child stood to applaud him to the crease. The awful shocked silence when he was dismissed for 0. And then how every man, woman and child stood to applaud him back to the pavilion. I never saw him play and those grainy old black and white replays hardly do him justice but his record speaks for itself.
He was way before my time but I love all sports and have waited for someone or something to come along that could be comparable thinking there would surely never be such a thing. Until now.For me Frankel IS The Don of racing.
His superiority over his peers is equivalent. 13 lengths, 11 lengths, 10 lengths, 7 lengths, 6 lengths, 5 lengths, 4 lengths. Scarcely believable. So many jaw dropping performances. The Royal Lodge, The 2,000 Guineas, The Sussex, The Lockinge, The Queen Anne, The International. 13 out of 13. Unbeaten, unbeatable. A horse 100 years ahead of his time.
One word of caution. I fear if he goes to France for the Arc it will be like Bradman at the Oval. We don’t want it to end like that do we?
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
But no one compared to Bradman.
A career average of 99.94!!!
That was his remarkable average in Test Matches; in all First Class matches his average was 95.14, which given it’s a much larger sample is perhaps even more remarkable
I made the comment Joni, flat racing has its own Arkle. Two horses who broke the mould.
Value Is EverythingAnother of Australia’s superstars was Walter Lindrum the Billiards player, so untouchable was he when he won the world title in 1934 nobody bothered to challenge him for it and he relinquished it undefeated in 1951.
During that time he broke and set all records in exhibitions all over the world and when he died Bradman wrote to his niece to say "In my opinion he was not only the greatest billiards player who ever lived, but he was also the most modest of great champions."
If only Frankel was allowed another year or two…
Even WITH another year or two I doubt he’d be any good at billiards.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Great shout Joni, for me The Don is THE greatest sportsman of all time and I don’t say that lightly as a proud Englishman and a passionate supporter of English cricket.
He’s so far ahead of all his contemperies it defies belief, no one else has been so peerless in their chosen sport.
As for the Frankel comparison….well why not, like Bradman we may never see his like again that’s for sure.
Being a four year old colt and still a virgin he may have become practised in the art of equine pocket billiards
Don’t worry big boy, Black Caviar awaits
Mr Mitchell described in wonderful detail that last test match when he walked out to bat at the Oval needing just 4 runs to make his overall career average 100. How every man, woman and child stood to applaud him to the crease. The awful shocked silence when he was dismissed for 0. And then how every man, woman and child stood to applaud him back to the pavilion. I never saw him play and those grainy old black and white replays hardly do him justice but his record speaks for itself.
Another remarkable thing about Bradman was that he played in much more ‘bowler-friendly’ conditions than modern batsmen do. In that Oval match, Bradman was bowled by a googly from Warwickshire’s Eric Hollies who was a top bowler for many years including a 1951 best of 145 wickets at just 17.69. By comparison, Essex’s David Masters was the 2011’s top county wicket-taker with 93.
There was much theorising (started possibly by the overly-romantic John Arlott) that Bradman was very emotional prior to that ball from Eric Hollies but this was dismissed by England’s forthright Jack Crapp, who was at slip during the drama and said: "That bugger Bradman never had a tear in his eye his whole life.”
Mike
Being a four year old colt and still a virgin he may have become practised in the art of equine pocket billiards
Don’t worry big boy, Black Caviar awaits
It’s gonna happen. Live on the telly, I tell you. If the Beeb don’t buy the idea off me, Channel Five will. They’ll show anything.
Mike
I think Richard ‘Dirty’ Desmond would prefer footage of Jeremy Paxman and Kate Humble getting it on, with Bill Oddie commentating
A nice thread with a sentiment that I couldn’t possibly challenge.
I’m just a little puzzled as to how McCoy hasn’t been mentioned on this thread. His superiority is such that the bookies haven’t bothered pricing up a jump jockeys championship for ages and his physical attribute are simply unnatural. A word that can be appropriately used to describe Frankel.
How lucky we are to be living in such an era. Our descendants will think we’re making things up.
I’d much rather see him in the Arc. I’m not one of these people to protect records at all costs. If the BC wasn’t on dirt he would be over there apparently, so i don’t see any problem sending him to France. The thought of Frankel lining up in the unknown again for me is a better prospect than running in a race where we already know the answer. The arc would be more of an edge of the seat race, where as the Champion is going to attract who ?…we all have our opinions and i won’t be convinced otherwise. It’s a bit dissapointing he isn’t going to the Arc.
Another remarkable thing about Bradman was that he played in much more ‘bowler-friendly’ conditions than modern batsmen do. In that Oval match, Bradman was bowled by a googly from Warwickshire’s Eric Hollies who was a top bowler for many years including a 1951 best of 145 wickets at just 17.69. By comparison, Essex’s David Masters was the 2011’s top county wicket-taker with 93.
Bowlers took more wickets(county championship) in a season back then as there were more games 28 to today 16.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Another remarkable thing about Bradman was that he played in much more ‘bowler-friendly’ conditions than modern batsmen do. In that Oval match, Bradman was bowled by a googly from Warwickshire’s Eric Hollies who was a top bowler for many years including a 1951 best of 145 wickets at just 17.69. By comparison, Essex’s David Masters was the 2011’s top county wicket-taker with 93.
Bowlers took more wickets(county championship) in a season back then as there were more games 28 to today 16.
Fair enough, but there were ‘less’ wickets to take per match with far fewer results, 3-day games, points awarded on 1st innings ‘wins’ & more time lost to weather. Batsmen also had uncovered pitches, no helmets, low-tech lighter bats etc.
You’d want to bat today rather than in Bradman’s era.
Mike
Batsmen also had uncovered pitches, no helmets, low-tech lighter bats etc.
You’d want to bat today rather than in Bradman’s era.
Having batted in these conditions in the garden for many years, I can testify you’re right………
I wasn’t sure what you were getting at ie amount of wickets 1951 compared to 2011 as your Warwickshire bowler would of taken less wickets these days but I think what you were saying is that Bradman would score a lot more runs in todays game?
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
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