Young Bradman

82 Australia experienced as any Australian cricketer, and a good enough bat to open in the next Test. In his 1930 serial Bradman admitted he was ‘bitterly disappointed, as I felt that I had let down my side’. Four days and an innings before, Bradman had, apparently while seeing the irony, likewise taken the role of senior man when batting with Jackson: … when we went off for lunch Archie was 96 not out and as we walked on to the field after lunch I being the old experienced man, I had already played in a Test match, and Archie hadn’t, so I said now Archie, don’t be in a hurry, the runs are coming along all right. And Larwood had to open the bowling and a new ball was used, so he opened straight away with the new ball and so I am trying to encourage and help Archie with my advice and the first ball Larwood bowled him was a half volley outside the off stump and Archie played the most beautiful square drive for four that I have ever seen in my life, it rattled the pickets like nobody’s business. As can happen so easily with memories, the details differ – some reports said Jackson was 97, and Larwood’s ball from the river end was a full toss – while the essence is true. Sixty years on, Bradman chuckled: ‘So much for my telling him to take his time.’ Bradman may truly have tried to be helpful; Jackson may have found it condescending, or was simply playing his own game as Bradman played his. Jackson had become the youngest to make a Test century; the previous youngest, 32 days before, had been Bradman. On that Monday Sutcliffe almost ran Bradman out on 22; he had still not learned. In his 1930s ‘How to play’ booklet, Bradman admitted: As a youthful cricketer I was regarded as a bad runner between wickets. In country cricket this is an outstanding fault. One rarely finds in any country centre players who have a good knowledge of this particular branch of the art of cricket. No doubt my early associations with men who were not New South Wales and Australia wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield.