Don Bradman, c. 1928. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the passing of Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman of all time.
Two decades on, how do we remember ‘our Don Bradman’? Does ‘every Aussie (still) dip his lid to you’?
Has the legend endured? What perspective have we achieved in evaluating Bradman’s place in Australian and world cricket? Has our image of The Don diminished in any way?
Just to refresh your memory, click here to see The Don’s record.
The Footy Almanac invites your responses.
John Arlott. Source:
en.wikipedia.com
Today also marks the anniversary of the birth of arguably the greatest of all cricket commentators, John Arlott. It’s over 40 years since he stepped out of the commentary box for the last time during the 1980 Centenary Test at Lord’s, so you need a good memory to recall his growl. Thank goodness we have YouTube – go there to see and listen to hours of Arlott. He also played a major role in ‘the D’Oliveira affair’ of the late 1960s, a pivotal moment in the eventual exile of South Africa from international cricket.
To read a biography of John Arlott click here.
To read several Arlott quips (and a few pithy phrases by other commentators) click here.
To read a tribute to Arlott from The Guardian twenty years after his death, click here.
If you’re old enough to remember Arlott’s commentary, share your memories below.
The Tigers (Covid) Almanac 2020 will be published in 2021. It will have all the usual features – a game by game account of the Tigers season – and will also include some of the best Almanac writing from the Covid winter. Pre-order HERE.
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Bradman the batsman – unsurpassed; Bradman the captain – a great record but not everyone’s cup of tea; Bradman the administrator – determined but probably not always in tune with the way the game was moving on. I’d like to think that we continue to have great respect for The Don but are not unaware of his limitations. Perhaps he was a man of his times and we would do him no justice to view him through the so-called ‘values’ of today.
Ian, you are very kind and understated about Bradman and that’s as much as I’ll add about the old curmudgeon.
With respect to John Arlott, so many yarns to remember. I’ll get in first but my favourite is definitely Bob Kunis.
RDL
John Arlott
I awake at 2am … winter of ’72… transistor under my pillow …a fatherly and gravelly voice tells me … “Lillee comes in to bowl from the Kirkstall Lane end” …
Just love John Arlott.! It was a great joy to listen to him broadcasting the Ashes from England, what a voice, and what commentator! Also Arlott wrote one of the quintessential cricket poems which has been published on the site. https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-poetry-cricket-at-worcester-1938-john-arlott/
I also wrote a cricket story part of which was about John Arlott. You can read it here. https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-cricket-john-arlott-and-fred-trueman/
Today is also the birth date of Beatle George Harrison
Happy birthday for yesterday, George!
I like much of what I’ve heard and read in connection with John Arlott.
My poem about Bradman, previously posted on The Footy Almanac, articulates much of what I feel about the man: https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-poetry-the-other-side-of-bradman-a-response-to-geoff-pages-on-the-death-of-a-famous-cricketer/