Who is the better cricketer?

Sir Donald Bradman or Sir Learie Constantine

by A. C. de Silva

CRICKET: Sir Donald Bradman captained Australia from 1936 until his retirement in 1948. I doubt whether he was adored by his team-mates- he was too withdrawn, most aloof, for that. In farewell to cricket, he explained, with typical clarity his position. He died at the age of 92 years in Adelaide, Australia.Bradman's break-up of centuries: vs England 19, vs South Africa 4, vs West Indies 2 and vs India 4.

There is a school of thought that it was surely enough that he should be the best batsman of all time without having to be the most high-scoring player, and it is worth noting, that Australia lost none of the five "rubbers" they contested during the period of his captaincy. Meticulous preparations and his own prolific run scoring saw to that.In the 1930 series, Bradman finished with a total average of 974 runs at an average of 139.14, figures which clearly illustrated the scale of the problem confronting the English selectors when they sat down to discuss who should lead the 1932-33 English side to Australia.In the 1930 series against England, July 11 at Leeds to be exact, Don Bradman became the first batsman to score 300 runs in a day. He made 334 runs - with 130 runs coming before lunch, 115 runs between lunch and tea and 89 runs in the final session.

Cricket writer Neville Cardus once said that if he was given the opportunity of reliving just one match of all those he had seen, he would choose the Lord's Test of 1930, `the match of every cricketers heart's desire. That match was played in glorious summer weather, the game produced 1,601 runs in under four days.

The match was won by Australia and by the young Don Bradman, making his first appearance for his country at Lord's by scoring a double century that remained for 60 years the highest Test score made at that ground.

Intimidatory lead

Nearly every ball was scored from. Bradman ran yards out of his ground to White and dealt severe blows. White was obliged to pitch short and then Bradman out him to ribbons. After tea it was a massacre and nothing else. Never before has there been such a powerful display of batting after the tea interval until close of play, by a batsman - and in this instance it was Bradman's cool deliberate "murder" of the English bowling..... every shot so elegant that it caught the fancy of cricket followers. Bradman's century came in 95 minutes and an hour later - that's at close of play, his score was 155 and never did he left a shot or take a risk. On the third day, Bradman consolidated spending another three hours building his score to 254 when Chapman caught him off the bowling of White. After the departure of young Bradman Australia went on belligerently to a declaration at 729 for 6 an intimidatory first innings lead of 304. England: 425 and 275.

Australia: 729 (Don Bradman 254 - caught by Chapman b White). (A.C. De S.)

CRICKET: Who was the most exciting Test cricketer in those early years, say late 1920s and early 1930s? There are two names that crop up for early pickings. They are: Sir Donald Bradman of Australia and West Indian Sir Learie Constantine. Of the names mentioned, which one is considered the better cricketer? On a distant day, the question was put to Patsy Hendran for his opinion.Constantine enthraled crowds in a certain way as Gilbert Jessop had done in the 1990s, whether batting, bowling or fielding.

Consider his performance for the West Indies against Middlesex in June 1928. Going to the crease at 79 for 5 wickets, he made 86 out of 107 in less than an hour, thereby saving the follow-on.

Constantine's Test figures are not a true reflection of his worth (a batting average of 19.24, a bowling average of 30.10) as compared against stalwarts like-George Headley who was one of four players (Bradman, Graeme Pollock and Sutcliffe are the others) who averaged over 60 in Test cricket.Lord Constantine, MBE, died in London on July 1, 1971, having been born on September 21, 1902.He made his mark in the only way a poor West Indian way of his time could do, by playing cricket through his own ability and character.

Patsy Hendren - was the prince of middle-order batsmen in the good old days and when asked to name the most exciting cricketer he's over known. It was a known fact that Hendren much admired Bradman, Hammond and that tigerish man Bill O-Reilly. But, without hesitation, he gave Learie Constantine the nod.

Hendren had seen the West Indian allrounder Sir Learie Constantine in his declining years and so was in no position to judge. But the choice surprised him just the same.

Constantine's career record was pointed out - 641 runs in Tests for an average of 19.42 and 58 wickets for an average of 30.10 - scarcely seemed to merit such a place in the sun. And Hendren, the most mellow of men, smiled patiently and said, "There are some players you just can't judge by the book, and Constantine was one of those. When it really mattered he was a man who could do the most amazing thing."Constantine was a hurricane hitter, a hurricane bowler and a hurricane fielder too. His rate of striking was second only to the mighty Gilbert Jessop in the annals of the first-class game.

Fielding exploits

Hendren illustrated the point with a story of one of Constantine's more remarkable fielding exploits. From cover point he had thrown down the wicket at the batsman's end, gathered up the rebound and, in the same flowing motion, flattened the stumps at the far end. "Both batsmen were safely home," recounted Hendren. "But if there had been any justice, they would have given Learie two wickets, because this was the mark of genius."

On another occasion, Hendren, with his fine humour, had walked out to bat against Constantine at Lord's wearing a crash helmet ....an unheard of thing in the Thirties. Apart from having a bit of fun, Hendren was also gently making a point.