Top Test cricket stars in unforgettable moments:

Bradman's statistics almost unbelievable!

By A.C. De Silva

CRICKET: The game of cricket has produced some startling performances over the years. Though most of the Players who gave all the thrills to the spectators are not amongst the living, their performances during their playing days have been so startling that many followers of the game have not forgotten them even in the present day.

There is no question about as to who the most impressive batsman in the good old days was? Prompt will come the answer... the Late Sir Donald Bradman.

Bradman's bare statistics are almost unbelievable. A century in every third innings, a career average of 95.14 (his Test average is still higher -- 99.94), 37 scores over 200 of which 5 were triple centuries and one quadruple hundred - 452 not out, the only Australian cricketer to score a century of centuries (117) and all scored at an average of almost 50 runs an hour, are some of his outstanding feats.

The date of his birth - 27th August 1908 - seemed to bring into this world at least a couple of top ranking persons. The most powerful office in the world is that of the President of the USA Lyndon Johnson, a former President of the USA was also born on the same day but the same johnson came only to be known long after Bradman had retired from cricket.

Born at Cootamundra, a way side railway station in New South Wales of Australia, Donald George Bradman, was the fifth child of a carpenter. The family later settled in Bowral from which Bradman got the appellation Bowral Boy.

A self taught cricketer, Bradman practised along with a golf or tennis ball which he threw against a wall and hit it on the rebound by a stick. Hours of practice in this way, enabled Bradman to develop his batting, fielding and concentration. Much later at Sydney he received a few coaching lessons to polish his game.

The budding youth, only 5 feet and 6 3/4 inches tall and weighting just 1441bs, joined 18 Australian batsmen in scoring a century on first class debut when he made 118.

He became the only one of that lot to make the Test grade. The rest just faded away after the initial burst.

Bradman made an unimpressive Test debut against England in 1928-29 and scored 18 and one before being relegated as the 12th man in the next Test.

But by scoring centuries in the third and the fifth Tests and on top of that registering 340 and 452 not out in the Sheffield Shield competition hit the headlines and stayed there for nearly 20 years. He played 52 Tests and had 80 innings with 10 not outs. He made 6,990 runs with 334 as highest.

He hit 29 centuries and his average was 99.94.

Bradman toured England 4 times - in 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1948 and each time scored more than 2,000 runs. He played as Test captain in 1936-37 and in 1946-47 at home. Australia did not lose any of those 6 Test series during which Bradman hit 2 triple hundreds, 5 double deckered centuries and 9 single 'tons'.

Most of Bradman's centuries (109 out of 117) resulted in either a win for his side or a draw.

The secret of Bradman's success was the following 10 commandments. They were: Concentration, confidence, Ambition, attacking attitude, optimism, Patience, Perfect footwork, Keen eyesight. Careful planning and Physical fitness.

He did not much believe in style. "All I want is runs. I was not made for style.

The first to be knighted as a cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman rose from a player to the captaincy of his country and one never to lose a Test rubber.

A living legend in his life time Sir Donald Bradman will forever remain a colossus among the cricketers of all time.!

During his total career (Test as well as other top games) the Don had scored 28,067 runs with 452 not out as the highest and had 117 hundreds for the very impressive average of 95.14 runs. This is certainly marvellous by a batsman who controlled the scene when he was actively engaged in top grade cricket.

Talking about batting, one cannot forget the performances in the good old days of Wally Hammond of England who was effervescent for his big-time hitting during his period of time. He had the most number of sixes in a Test innings during his playing days - 10 sixes during his innings of 336 not out against New Zealand at Auckland during the 1932-33 season.

Superb display by Sobers

Right now, he is not playing any competitive cricket, but he is alive as yet and he has given superb displays during his career that many cricket fans will remember for many years to come. The cricketer of the past -- Sir Gary Sobers is a three-in-one cricketer who shone with distinction for the West Indies.

Sobers played in 93 Tests and has had 160 innings where he was 21 times not out and had accumulated 8,032 runs with a top score of 365 not out as his highest. Sobers has got 26 hundreds and 30 fifties for an average of 57.78. In that memorable knock of 365 not out, Sobers had 38 fours and he batted for 10 hours 14 minutes.

Call him an allrounder-here's the facts that go to establish that record of his. He took 109 catches and he was known for his bowling and delivered 21,599 balls giving away 7,999 runs and took 235 wickets for an average of 34.03 runs.

So, it was a fine showing by the great allrounder.

Laker 19 wickets out of 20

There is a English bowler - Jim Laker who needs no introduction to the game of cricket. He has a WORLD RECORD to his credit which is unlikely to be improved on so long as the game of cricket is played in the world. That record is the capturing of 19 out of a possible 20 wickets in a Test against Australia. This seems to be an all-time record.

Though Laker is not amongst the living now, that performance of his against Australia where he took 19 wickets out of a possible 20 for 90 runs at Old Trafford in 1956, will long in the memory of all cricket fans. Though he passed away on April 23 in 1986, this deed of his will be remembered by cricket fans, especially England supporters forever.

Laker played for England in 46 Tests, bowled 12,027 balls and took 193 wickets for 4,101 runs for an average of 21.24. In batting, he gathered 676 runs with 63 as his highest and has an average of 14.08. He also held 12 catches.

Neil Harvey - greatest left-hand batsman

A question arose around 30 years ago as to who the greatest foreign left-hand batsman ever to play in India? There are many definitions of greatness, but if it means distinguished style combined with prolific score, then the vote must surely go to Neil Harvey.

Harvey - then 19 years in his second Test at in Melbourne, played a glorious innings to make 153. The innings was styled "attractive." It was clear that a new stylist had arisen.

The style of Harvey spread to the playing fields of England in a few months. Don Bradman who was leading the Australian team around the time that Harvey came into the Australian team attracted Harvey and he came into the team of 1948 that toured England. It was the tour of England and it was not until the fourth match of the series that Harvey could force himself into the Australian Test team to play against England.

That was the beginning of a Test career which lasted till 1962 and included 46 consecutive appearances.

He was an instant success on the Test scene and a scored 6,149 runs in Tests and hit 67 centuries in great style. He began his Test career under Bradman, in a shadow as well as a light. Neil Harvey scored mountains of runs, but they were always done in style.

Hanif Mohammed - patient batsman

Then there is a Pakistani Cricketer in Hanif Mohammed who showed the cricketing public that it was patience that can bring many runs.

He played in 55 Tests and gathered 3,915 runs with 337 as his highest score and was 8 times not out.

He had 12 hundreds and 15 fifties for an average of 43.98. In bowling, he bowled 206 balls, giving away 95 runs and had a wicket. He also held 40 catches.

Mankad-Roy 413 run opening stand

The Indian opening batting combination of 1955-56 of Vinoo Mankad c Cave b Moir 231 and Pankaj Roy b Poore 173 made 413 between them for the opening stand represents the highest in Test cricket.

The Indian opening pair made merry against New Zealand at Madras at the Corporation Stadium. Mankad became the first opener to score 200 plus in this classification. Vinoo Mankad's Test record: 44 Tests, 72 innings, 5 not outs, 2,109 runs, 231 highest, average:31.47

Bowling(Mankad): 14,686 balls, 5,236 runs, 162 wickets, average:32.32.

Wesley Hall: Hat-trick against Pakistan

Wesley Hall - that dynamic paceman of the West Indies was a most lovable character in the team. Born in Bridgetown on 12th September, 1937 he turned out to be a great fast bowler of the West Indies team and later on turned out to be a lovable administrator. At one time he was Minister of Tourism in Barbados in the 1980s. Pace bowling was Hall's forte and he made his presence felt in no uncertain manner.

Playing for the West Indies against Pakistan at Lahore in 1959, Hall performed the hat-trick.

He got the wickets of Mushtaq Mohamad, Fazal Mohammad and Nasim-ul-Ghani and he is the first West Indian to perform that feat. Later on Hall took to religious activities in a big way and became an Dvangelical Church leader, but also kept in touch with cricket.

Most cricketers follow superstitions and Hall too had superstitions during his playing days.

One was to wear his mother's wedding ring and the other was to finger the gold cross that hung from a chain round his neck when walking back to the top of his bowling mark.

Ramadhin terrorised batsmen

Sonny Ramadhin (born May 1 in 1929) was a West Indian cricketer, of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden cricketers of the year in 1951.

He was born in Esperance Village, Trinidad and Tobacco and his first entry into big-time cricket was when he was selected for the tour of England in 1950 at the age of 20.

In his debut series in England was with fellow spinner Alf Valentine and the two of them dominated the English batting taking 59 wickets between them. West Indies won this series by three matches to one, which was their first series victory in England. When England returned to the West Indies in early 1954, Ramadhin took 13 wickets in the first two Tests and was instrumental in West Indies victory.

Ramadhin, the first East Indian to represent West Indies was a small neat man and he was called up for the famous 1950 tour of England, where he baffled the batsman with his ability to spin the ball both ways. He bowled right-arm off breaks and leg breaks with no noticeable change of action. At Lord's Ramadhin took 11 for 152 in 115 overs as West Indies recorded their first win there.

Success came Ramadhin's way later on too and in the game against England at Birmingham in 1957, he sent down 774 balls in 129 overs. It was the most delivered by any bowler in a Test, beating H. Verity's 766 balls for England against South Africa at Durban, 1939. On that tour in England, Ramadhin bowled 588 balls - that's 98 overs against England at Birmingham in 1957. He came into the cricket world like a bolt from the blue, terrorising practically every Test batsman in the world. Despite the May-Cowdrey record-breaking partnership for England, nobody has really mastered Ramadhin's magic bowling.

Boycott 48,426 runs in 1,014 innings

In England, their opening batsman Geoff Boycott made many runs after making his Test debut against Australia at Nottingham in 1964 under the captaincy of Ted Dexter. He made 48. He surpassed the world record aggregate of 8,032 of Sir Garfield Sobers and at the end of the first innings Boycott's total read 8,056. He added 34 more runs in the second to take his aggregate to 8,090 runs. Vs Australia 2,945; vs South Africa 373; vs West Indies 2,205; vs New Zealand 916; vs India 1,060 and vs Pakistan 591. In a career spanning 24 years (1962-86) Boycott made 48,426 runs in 1,014 innings. He was 162 times not out and his highest was 261 not out. He had 151 hundreds and his average:58.83.

Unique happening

There was something unique that happened about English cricketer William Gun. What was it? Gun, who played for England in the 19th century, both played and umpired in the same Test. This happened against Australia at Sydney in the 1986-87 series. He deputised for a while for umpire Swift who was absent.