Don Bradman's boyhood home under BIG threat of being demolished; here's why

Former Australian cricket captain Sir Donald Bradman is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. The place where he began his cricketing journey, however, is now under serious threat of being destroyed in favour of a housing development. The place in question is a 22-yard concrete slab in Bowral, a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, where Don Bradman used to play cricket as a child.

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Don Bradman house cricket pitch in danger

Don Bradman spent most of his childhood in Bowral. The pitch where the legendary batsman cultivated his love for the sport is located next to the Church of England. Australian researcher Nick Corbett said that Bradman often visited the pitch for playing cricket with his school team and their headmaster.

The pitch is now set for an uncertain future due to the building of a proposed residential development. According to a report by abc.net.au, the developers want to build 13 townhouses at the aforementioned place. Even though the Wingecarribee Shire Council is opposing the construction, the developers are looking forward to pushing the matter towards the Land and Environment Court.

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Former Australian cricket umpire Simon Taufel recently said that pitch in question is an amazing site to visit for fans of the cricketing legend. Taufel, a Bowral resident himself, opposed the construction, saying that it is a “cricket mecca” which puts the town on the cricketing map.

Don Bradman house: Where did Don Bradman stay?

To answer the query: ‘Where did Don Bradman stay?’, historians believe that Don Bradman was born in the New South Wales town of Cootamundra. The place of his birth is now a museum. When Don Bradman turned two-and-a-half-years old, he shifted to Bowral with his parents where he picked up a cricket bat for the first time. However, he died in Kensington Park, an eastern suburb of the city of Adelaide in 2001. He moved to the city of Adelaide back in 1934 when he was 26.

Also Read | Don Bradman Records Filled Test Career At Average Of 99.94 On August 14, 1948

Don Bradman records: A career roundup

The list of Don Bradman records includes some staggering numbers. Apart from holding a highly-prolific average of 99.94, the Don Bradman records include 29 centuries from 80 Test innings, which remains the best ratio of hitting centuries per innings (36.25 per cent). The Don Bradman records section also holds a unique distinction of scoring the most number of runs in a single series, when he scored 974 runs against England in the 1930 Ashes. He was the first batsman to reach a triple century twice in a career, before Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle became members of the elite club with him.

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Image source: ICC Twitter