Sir Don Bradman blasted 974 runs in five Tests in the 1930 Ashes series and it remains a world record for the most runs scored in any bilateral Test series.
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974 runs in a single series! The magnitude of the runs scored was simply staggering. The level of consistency displayed was beyond remarkable. But, you would expect it from Sir Don Bradman. The greatest batsman in the history of the game made his big mark in the 1930 Ashes series. It was the sheer weight of runs that saw Australia regain the Ashes in grand style.
It has been close to 90 years since the feat of Sir Don Bradman’s 974 runs. There have been several greats of the game that have not even come close to emulating the feat. In the era of big bats, short boundaries, and flat pitches, even then the Don’s record stands tall. Virat Kohli once scored 973 runs, but that came across 16 matches in the IPL. The format was totally different, yet Kohli fell short by one run. That shows the remarkable nature of Bradman’s brilliance.
The England cricket team, at that time, had several great players. There was Wally Hammond, the best batsman in that era. Jack Hobbs, another legendary player in that era partnered with Herbert Sutcliffe. There was Duleepsinhji, the most elegant player to have ever played for England. There was the hostile pace of Harold Larwood and the skill of Ian Pebbles and Maurice Tate.
In the 1928 Ashes Test series that was played in Australia, England completely dominated them and won the series 4-1. Bradman’s Test debut was poor, being dismissed for 18 and 1. Hammond ended the series with 905 runs, the most at that time. It seemed that England would continue the domination in the 1930 series. But, Bradman and Australia had other plans.
Before the end of the 1928 series, Sir Don Bradman had shown his talent when he hit 112 and 123 in Melbourne. That form continued in England. The start though was not auspicious. England won the first Test at Trent Bridge by 93 runs. But, even in that loss, the seeds of Bradman’s dominance were sown. In the chase of 429, Bradman hit 131 and Australia managed to reach 335. England sensed that Bradman was going to go big. The only problem was, they did not know how big.
Australia decided to move on from the loss in Trent Bridge. In a spectacular display, Bradman led from the front with the bat. During the second Test at Lord’s, England had notched up 425 with Duleepsinhji scoring 173. But, Bradman decided to showcase his legendary skills. He shared a partnership of 231 with Bill Woodfull, the captain, and a stand of 192 with Alan Kippax. Bradman blasted 254 and Australia ended on 729/6 declared.
England was blown away by the batting of Bradman and they tried putting up a fight. Percy Chapman, the England skipper, hit 121. But, Australia’s legspinner Clarrie Grimmett took six wickets to bowl England out for 375. Australia chased down 72 for the loss of three wickets to win by seven wickets and level the series. In the second innings, Bradman fell for 1.
But, it was in the Leeds Test that saw the sublime brilliance of the Don. The greatest of all time scored 309 runs in a single day. The exhibition of batting saw records tumble. Bradman ended with 334 and he became the highest individual scorer in Test cricket. But, the record of scoring 300 runs in a single day has not been broken to date. It took the skill and brilliance of Wally Hammond to ensure that England escaped with a draw.
The Manchester Test was impacted by rain and Bradman could manage only 14, ending his run of four consecutive matches in which he scored centuries. Heading into the decider at The Oval, there was plenty to play for. The Test repeated the pattern. England put up a decent score, only to be bettered by the brilliance of Don Bradman.
The hosts batted first at The Oval and Sutcliffe led the charge with a brilliant 161. They ended with 405, not a bad score in the circumstances. But, Bradman was simply in the zone at that time. There were contributions from many Australian players but Bradman stood heads and shoulders above the others. Bradman shared a partnership of 243 with Archie Jackson. The Don scored 232, his third score of 200+ in the series. Contributions from Woodfull, Bill Ponsford, Jackson, Stan McCabe, and Alan Fairfax helped Australia reach 695.
England was thoroughly demoralized by the assault of the Don. Hammond once again hit a fifty but left-arm medium-pacer Percy Hornibrook took 7/92 to bowl England out for 251. Australia won by an innings and 39 runs to win the Ashes 2-1. Bradman ended the series with 974 runs at an average of 139 with four big hundreds. It remains a statistical wonder.
The 1932 win by Australia ended England’s six-year hold on the Ashes. The exploits of Bradman were celebrated in the cricketing world. Everyone now acknowledged that he was the ultimate batsman in the world. But, England devised a plan to counter Bradman.
Spooked by the brilliance of 1932, England decided to revert to Bodyline tactics in the 1932/33 series. Douglas Jardine, who became the skipper, gave full license to Larwood to bowl short balls at the body of the batsman by having a legside trap. The plan seemed to have worked. England once again won the series 4-1 in Australia. But, Bradman still averaged 56 in that series. It was a testament that Bradman would not be cowed down by Bodyline. Bradman’s genius was sealed in the 1932 Ashes and since then, his records are simply a sight.
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