Cricket records unlikely to be broken

Sir Don Bradman’s average of 99.94

Sir Donald Bradman

If Bradman had scored just four runs in his last Test innings at The Oval in 1948, he would have finished with a Test average of 100 runs an innings - a level of performance unchallenged by any other batsman at the time, before or since. Bradman was bowled second ball by England's Eric Hollies for a duck. Perfectionists and cricket enthusiasts alike will mourn that dismissal forever.

Don Bradman played in 52 Test matches for Australia from 1928 to 1948. World War II interrupted his career at its peak. He batted 80 times against England, the West Indies, South Africa and India for 6996 runs at that average of 99.94.

His nearest contemporary in batting genius, England's Walter Hammond, made only 253 more runs in 33 more Test matches and another 60 innings at an average of 41 less than Bradman. Hammond's 22 hundreds came at a rate greater than every sixth time he went out to bat.