BEST CRICKET RECORD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 December 1939, Page 4

BEST CRICKET RECORD

BRADMAN OR HAMMONDWHAT STATISTICS SHOW. For several years now. statisticians and others have been debating the question as to whether Don Bradman, in his shorter time at the wickets, has, comparatively speaking built up a better record than Wally Hammond. To decide the issue there is, perhaps no fairer method than to compare the men in the seasons in which they played under similar conditions. Both began their Test careers in Australia in the 1928-29 season, when Hammond was already an experienced player and Bradman a youngster of 20 Hammond had a truly great season in that series, averaging 113 in scoring 905 runs. Bradman scored 468 runs at an average of 66. But in the complete first-class season he made 1,690 runs to Hammond’s 1,553, and averaged 93.88 to the Englishman’s 91,35. Then came Bradman’s season —1930 in England—when he smashed all Test records with knocks of 131, 254, 334 (since beaten by Hutton) and 232. His aggregate was 974 runs at an average of 139. He easily eclipsed Hammond’s average of 34, representing an aggregate of 306 runs. In ’all first-class games Hammond, with 2,032 at 53, had to bow to Bradman's 2,960 at 98 an innings. Even in 1932, with Bradman facing an attack that was spared Hammond, the New South Wales player came out on top —396 runs at an average of 56, against Hammond’s 440 at 55. Their respective figures for that season’s first-class matches were: Bradman 1,171 (61) and Hammond 948 (55.76).

Back in England in 1934, Bradman was again on top. He finished the Test series with an aggregate of 758 at 94 an innings, against Hammond’s rather dismal 162 with an average of 20.

And, as in 1930, Bradman again led Hammond as far as all first-class statistics were concerned. His 2,020 at 84 was rather better than the Englishman's 2,366 at 76. In the fifth trial in Australia Hammond opened both the tour and the Test series in scintillating style, but his ultimate figures of 1,206 at 67 an innings in all first-class games and 468 at 58,50 in the Tests failed to reach Bradman's corresponding figures of 1,552 at 86.22 and 810 at 90. The 1938 season in England provided the Englishman with an opportunity of breaking Bradman’s sequence of statistical success, and a brilliant double century in the second Test was an encouraging beginning. However, when the season finished Hammond, with an aggregate of 403 runs, averaging 67,16 an innings, had to give way to “The Don’s" 434' at an average of 108.5. The story was the same in all first-class cricket. Bradman established the record average of 2,000 runs or more in an English season of 115.66, in aggregating 2,429 runs, and although Hammond headed the English averages his figures of 3,011 runs at 75,27 were not good enough. . In all Test cricket their respective figures are: — Hammond. —127 innings, 15 not out, 6,883 runs. Average per innings, 61.4; Test innings. 89.4. Number of Gentries, 22. Bradman.—s7 innings, 5 not out, 5,093 runs. Average per innings, 97.9. Test innings, 141.43. Number of centuries, 21. Comparative figures for all first-class matches are as follows: — Hammond. —920 innings, 93 not out 47,118 runs. Average, 56.9. Number of centuries, 150. Bradman.—2ss innings, 32 not out, 21,370 runs. Average, 95.83. Number of centuries, 83. Thus, on the figures given, there can be no question as to where the honours lie.