Young Bradman

65 New South Wales his fellow man to understand that Bradman would not make the same mistake twice, as lesser men do all their lives: ‘He knew now everything there was to be known about it and his failure was thereby converted into an achievement.’ In that sense, it was inevitable that Bradman could not lose. After Queensland had to follow on, 363 behind, on the third day, they made 590 – Bradman, the eighth bowler tried, took two wickets towards the end. That left New South Wales 224 to win on the fifth and final, half- day. Jackson, opening, was second to go, caught behind the wicket for nine, and already critics were noting his weakness of feeling for balls outside his off stump. When Bradman walked in at 60 for six, with an hour and a quarter to go, New South Wales faced defeat thanks to weak batting in their second innings, their failing so far that season. Bradman and Gordon Morgan ‘rose to the call’, the Sydney Morning Herald reported: ‘… they played straight bats, and left anything well to the off severely alone’. Morgan gave a catch; Hampden Love came in at 74 for seven. The two to follow were ‘one over batsmen’, Cliff Cary wrote later. The light was bad, rain was threatening, and occasional thunder rumbled. Bradman did have luck; a French cut nearly hit his wicket, and an edge flew just clear of second slip. A sharply rising ball from Ernst Nothling came off the shoulder of Bradman’s bat; Bradman walked before the umpire gave him out caught behind. Nothling had his fifth wicket, too late; only two full overs remained. New South Wales finished on 100 for eight, to take first innings points. The Herald pointed out that in grade matches Bradman had never needed to stay in and merely block, ‘but he knew what was expected of him’. Early on, some of his shots looked shaky: But he settled down to take most of Nothling’s deliveries, and was more reassuring in his play as the minutes sped by. And, after playing each ball, as he waited with uptilted chin, a boyish Macartney in his quiet confidence, there was not a sign that there was anything remarkable in his innings. He stayed until the clock was almost beaten. Whatever his subsequent success, he will have reason to look back on the 13 he made yesterday as an effort equally as fine as the century he made in his first Shield game. He was learning. After a day’s rest, New South Wales hosted South Australia. Bradman, now batting at six, only made two, caught and bowled; trying to turn a full toss to leg, it spooned up off the bottom of the bat. He had already given a stumping chance when he missed one from Grimmett. It suggested Bradman still had to get the hang of turf, or outstanding bowling. He was however making his name in the outfield. The next day the ninth-wicket batsman Jack Scott was jogging a single from a drive to Bradman, whose 30-yard throw went over the bowler’s head and hit the stumps at the wicket-keeper’s end. Scott was yards out. Truth hailed it as ‘the best piece of cricket seen this season’. As the critics spotted, it showed initiative, besides ability, as did Bradman’s second innings. He entered at 224 for four; New South Wales, 267 ahead, still needed runs. Bradman again used his feet to Grimmett; again he should have been stumped when he jumped