Happy Birthday Sir Don: 5 interesting facts about the Australian batting legend

His test batting average stands tall at 99.94, which is considered by some to be the greatest achievement by any sportsman.

Australia’s most revered sporting personality, Sir Donald George Bradman, was born on this day, August 27, in 1908. He is fondly regarded by many as the greatest batsman in the history of cricket. Today on his birthday, here are 5 interesting facts about him:

1. Bradman developed his timing while still a young man by hitting a golf ball against a water tank. He became a terrific outfielder as well as developed a fast eye, fluid feet, and amazing judgment of bowling.

2. He was included in the Australian side for the 1930 tour of England at the age of 21. Before the test match, he played the county team Worcestershire on Worcester Cricket Ground, where he scored  236 runs in 276 minutes. This turned out to be the highest score ever made by an Australian in his first match in England, the best by a visitor in his first innings of an English tour, and the highest score by any batsman on his first tour of any other country. 

3. He captained the Australian side for the first Test series against an Indian side in Australia in 1947-48, where he scored his 100th century - the first Australian batsman to reach that milestone score.

4. Of such quality were his skills and awareness of the game, that in his entire career, The Don was never stumped out in a Test match.

5. He wrote two reminisces: Farewell to Cricket (1950), a book of memories, and The Art of Cricket (1958), a coaching guide.