Sir Donald Bradman of Australia was, beyond any argument, the greatest batsman who ever lived and the greatest cricketer of the 20th century. Only WG Grace, in the formative years of the game, even remotely matched his status as a player. And The Don lived on into the 21st century, more than half a century after he retired. In that time, his reputation not merely as a player but as an administrator, selector, sage and cricketing statesman only increased. His contribution transcended sport; his exploits changed Australia's relationship to what used to be called the "mother country".“That reception stirred me deeply,” Bradman later wrote. “… (It) made me anxious – a dangerous state of mind for any batsman to be in.”
Bradman’s first ball was delivered by leg-spinner Eric Hollies. The Don defended it comfortably, although he later admitted that he barely saw the ball because he was overcome with emotion. For his second delivery Hollies threw down a googly. Bradman didn’t pick it, overbalancing as the ball shaved his inside edge and took the off bail.
Stunned silence enveloped the ground. No-one could quite believe what had happened. Even the English players just stood there confused.
The Don turned and took a resigned look at his scattered stumps, before gazing ruefully at the sky and pacing off the field. It was only then that the reality of the situation set in. Just as they did moments before, the Oval crowd rose as one to applaud the great man from the field. And that was that. It was a truly solemn end for the greatest that’s ever been.
You may be wondering why a batsman making a duck is considered a great moment in cricket history? But, he is probably better remembered for his last innings duck than if he managed to scrape together the remaining four runs to bring his average to an even hundred.
In a weird way, this was the perfect end for Bradman. By ’48 he had done everything in his career except, possibly, show everyone he was capable of making mistakes. His last game duck added some fallibility to his persona. After 52 Tests, 6996 runs, 29 centuries – ten of them doubles and two of them triples - Bradman had finally shown the world he was human.
