Sir Donald Bradman dies

Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest Australian cricketer of all time, and in the eyes of many the greatest cricketer from any country, has died at the age of 92.

Sir Donald, who has reportedly been in failing health for some time, died on Sunday morning February 25 at his home in the Adelaide suburb of Kensington after a bout of pneumonia. Reports say he is believed to have died peacefully in his sleep.

Sir Donald played 52 Test matches for Australia between 1928 and 1948, scoring 6996 runs at the phenomenal batting average of 99.94. He was also a highly successful captain and later enjoyed similar success as an administrator.

Donald George Bradman was born at Cootamundra, New South Wales on 27 August 1908. He grew up in the town of Bowral, south-west of Sydney, which now bears a cricket ground and museum in his name. Bradman moved to Sydney after being spotted by talent scouts. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in December 1927, scoring 118 and 33.

Bradman was selected to play for Australia at the age of twenty after just nine first-class appearances, making his Test debut against England in Brisbane in November 1928. Demoted to twelfth man for the following game, he returned to the Australian side for the third Test of the 1928-29 series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He scored 79 and 112 in that game and never looked back.

In the following season he scored 452 not out for New South Wales against Queensland, a world record which stood for nearly thirty years. His highest score in Test matches was 334, made against England at Headingley in 1930.

In a career which was interrupted by the Second World War, Bradman played his final Test match at The Oval in 1948, at the age of forty. He was captain of Australia from 1936-37 until his retirement, winning 15 Tests as captain and losing three. His 1948 team which he led to England is regarded as one of the best of all time.

Bradman moved to South Australia in 1934 to accept a job offer and played Sheffield Shield for that state until his retirement from the first-class game in 1948-49. In all first-class cricket he scored 28067 runs at an average of 95.14, including 117 centuries - approximately one hundred for every three visits to the batting crease.

Idolised during his playing career like no other Australian cricketer - or few other Australian sporting heroes - Bradman (simply "The Don" to millions) was regarded by many prior to his death as the greatest living Australian.

Bradman married Jessie Menzies in 1932. She died in 1997, Sir Donald describing their 65-year marriage as "the greatest partnership of my life." He was knighted in 1949 for services to cricket, and in 1979 was appointed a Commander of the Order of Australia (AC), the highest civilian honour than can be bestowed on an Australian in modern times.

Sir Donald will receive a private funeral in accordance with his wishes.