Australian cricketer Sir Don Bradman, often recognized as the greatest batsman of all time, scored twenty-nine Test cricket centuries during his international career which lasted from 1928 to 1948.Bradman only played international Test cricket matches and not One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, which were not played at that time. However, his cricketing career was interrupted from 1940 to 1946 due to the outbreak of World War II, followed by poor health. He assumed captaincy of the Australian side in 1946, and scored fourteen of his centuries as captain. Bradman holds the world record for the most double centuries scored by a single batsman, with twelve to his name. He was the first of four batsmen to have twice scored triple centuries, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle. His total of nineteen centuries against England remains the world record for the highest number of centuries against a single team.
When he made 334—his first triple century—against England in the 1930 Ashes, Bradman scored 309 of those runs on 11 July 1930, which remains as the highest number of runs scored by a single batsman in one day. It was the highest individual Test score until Wally Hammond scored 336 in 1933. Len Hutton then surpassed Wally Hammond with 364 in 1938 which stood until 1958 when Garfield Sobers scored 365 not out. Later Brian Lara scored 400 in 2004. In the same series, Bradman went on to score a further century and two more double centuries, accumulating 974 runs in 7 innings—the most runs scored by one batsman in a single series. In 1937, Bradman, suffering from influenza and coming in at the seventh position, scored 270 to guide his team to victory against England. It was rated as the best Test innings of all time by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2001. It is also the highest score made by a number 7 batsman, while his 304 against England in 1934 was the highest score made by a number 5 batsman, until January 2012, when Michael Clarke made 329* against the touring Indians.
By the time of his retirement in 1948, Bradman had made twenty-nine centuries in eighty innings. These centuries, with which he had accumulated 5,393 of his 6,996 Test runs, were scored with a 36.25% ratio of centuries per innings played. This allowed him to maintain a career batting average of 99.94, while no other batsman has been able to reach 62 other than Harry Brook.Calculated from batsmen who have batted a minimum of twenty innings. He would have retired with an average of 100 had he scored four more runs in his final innings.
Key
Symbol Meaning * Remained not out ♠ Captained the Australian sideTest The number of the Test matches played in that seriesPos. Position in the batting orderInn. The innings of the matchH/A The venue was at home (Australia) or away.Lost The match was lost by Australia. Won The match was won by Australia. Drawn The match was drawn.
Test cricket centuries No. Score Against Pos.Inn. Test Venue H/A Date Result 1 6 3 3/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Lost 2 5 2 5/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 3 3 4 1/5 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Away Lost 4 3 2 2/5 Lord's Cricket Ground, London Away Won 5 3 1 3/5 Headingley, Leeds Away Drawn 6 3 2 5/5 The Oval, London Away Won 7 3 1 3/5 Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane Home Won 8 3 2 4/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 9 3 1 1/5 The Gabba, Brisbane Home Won 10 4 2 2/5 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Home Won 11 3 3 3/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 12 * 3 2 4/5 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Home Won 13 103* 4 3 2/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 14 5 2 4/5 Headingley, Leeds Away Drawn 15 3 1 5/5 The Oval, London Away Won 16 ♠ 7 3 3/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 17 ♠ 4 2 4/5 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Home Won 18 ♠ 3 1 5/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 19 ♠ 3 3 1/5 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Away Draw 20 ♠ 3 4 2/5 Lord's, London Away Draw 21 ♠ 4 2 4/5 Headingley, Leeds Away Won 22 ♠ 3 1 1/5 The Gabba, Brisbane Home Won 23 ♠ 6 2 2/5 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Home Won 24 ♠ 3 1 1/5 The Gabba, Brisbane Home Won 25 ♠ 3 1 3/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 26 *♠ 6 3 3/5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Home Won 27 ♠ 3 1 4/5 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Home Won 28 ♠ 3 2 1/5 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Away Won 29 *♠ 3 4 4/5 Headingley, Leeds Away Won
Notes
References
External links Player profile of Bradman at Cricinfo