Bradman's Best

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Going into the match, if Australia batted only once, Bradman needed only four runs from his final innings to have a Test batting average of exactly 100, but he failed to score, bowled second ball for a duck by leg spinner Eric Hollies. He hit Young for a straight-driven four and then pulled him for another boundary, but the attacking strokeplay did not last.

In the event, Bradman batted all of the second day and into the third, putting on a then world record partnership of 388 with Bill Ponsford. He attempted a hook shot from a short ball and missed before being hit on the shoulder by another Lindwall bouncer, having tried to hook the ball downwards in an unorthodox manner akin to a tennis serve.

The innings ended at 52 when Hutton—who never appeared troubled by the bowling— leg glanced Lindwall and was caught by wicket-keeper Don Tallon, who caught the ball one-handed at full stretch to his left.

Hutton was the only batsman to resist the Lindwall-led attack, scoring 30 in 124 minutes and surviving 147 deliveries. I seemed to sense that the ball would be a short-pitched one on the leg-stump, and I could almost feel myself getting ready to make my shot before the ball was delivered. He secured the achievement of a hundred on debut, with an innings of 118 featuring what soon became his trademarks—fast footwork, calm confidence and rapid scoring. The Fifth Test of the 1948 Ashes series, held at The Oval in London, was the final Test in that cricket series between Australia and England.On that occasion, England made a Test world record score of 903/7 declared, and Len Hutton made 364, an individual Test world record. On the Wednesday morning the ball flew about a good deal, both batsmen frequently being hit on the body. The right-handed Australian opener stumbled forward to a fast-turning leg break that caught his outside edge. John Hamilton reviewing in the Herald Sun said: "Perry conjures up the romantic image of the Light Horse that endures to this day.

Batting againstO'Reilly felt the Australian openers wanted to prove "the pitch itself had nothing whatever to do with the English batting debacle". Bradman had announced his forthcoming retirement at the end of the season, so the public were anxious to witness his last appearance at Test level.

Oliver Pritchett in the Sunday Telegraph thought the book's main concept was "an alarming idea, and the author. He played for South Australia in two matches to help with the re-establishment of first-class cricket and later described his batting as "painstaking". Bradman anticipated receiving a bouncer as his first ball and, as the bowler delivered, he moved across his stumps to play the hook shot. Crapp was bowled by Miller for nine, and two runs later, Ring dismissed debutant Watkins for two, his only wicket for the match. When play was adjourned for lunch with England on 29/4, [8] [34] Hutton was 17 while Yardley was on four.

To help improve discipline, Bradman became a committeeman of the SACA, and a selector of the South Australian and Australian teams. In his first Test appearance in England, Bradman hit 131 in the second innings but England won the match.