Don Bradman: 99.94 Average, 22-Ball Century Myth & Records

There’s a reason why, decades after his last innings, cricket fans still argue about Don Bradman: with a Test average of 99.94, he set a benchmark that no one has come close to matching — a record certified by Guinness World Records. This article separates fact from fiction, examining the legendary 22-ball century myth, his actual six-hitting record, and how his stats stack up against modern greats.

Test batting average: 99.94 · Test centuries: 29 · Highest Test score: 334 · Test matches: 52 · Career span: 1928–1948

Ten key attributes paint the picture of a career that redefined batting excellence.

Who made 100 runs in 22 balls?

The story of Bradman’s 22‑ball century

• The legend claims Bradman struck a century in 22 balls during a club match in 1931. The State Library of South Australia records that he did score 100 runs in three overs that year, but that was in a minor exhibition game, not a first‑class or Test match.
• No official scorecard from any competitive fixture supports a 22‑ball hundred. The fastest Test century (by balls faced) is Brendon McCullum’s 54‑ball effort against Australia in 2016 (ESPNcricinfo records). In ODIs, AB de Villiers holds the record at 31 balls (Guinness World Records).

Fact‑checking the legend

• The 22‑ball story almost certainly conflates an exhibition feat with a competitive match. No verified source places Bradman in a first‑class innings where he reached 100 in 22 balls.
• Bradman himself never claimed the achievement in any of his published writings.

What is the fastest century in cricket?

• Fastest Test century (balls): Brendon McCullum – 54 balls (2016) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• Fastest ODI century (balls): AB de Villiers – 31 balls (2015) – Guinness World Records.
• Fastest T20 international century (balls): David Miller – 35 balls (2017) – ESPNcricinfo story.

The distinction between legend and fact reinforces why Bradman’s official records remain so remarkable.

What records does Don Bradman still hold?

Test batting average record

• Bradman’s Test average of 99.94 is the highest of any batsman with at least 20 innings, a gap that Guinness World Records calls “streets ahead” of any other player.
• If he had scored just four more runs in his final innings, he would have finished with exactly 100 – as noted by the State Library of South Australia.

Highest average in first‑class cricket

• Bradman’s first‑class average of 95.14 (28,067 runs, 117 centuries) remains the highest in history (State Library of South Australia).

Most runs in a Test series

• His 974 runs in the 1930 Ashes series is still the most by any batsman in a Test series (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

These records underscore the sheer improbability of Bradman’s statistical output.

Did Bradman ever hit a six?

Bradman’s six‑hitting frequency

• In his Test career, Bradman hit exactly six sixes (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). For context, modern power‑hitter Chris Gayle has struck over 1,000 sixes in international cricket (ESPNcricinfo player database).

Comparison with modern batsmen

• Bradman preferred ground strokes and running between wickets. He once said, “I never tried to hit sixes; I just tried to score runs.”
• The game’s shift toward T20 has made six‑hitting a core skill. Gayle’s 553 sixes in ODIs alone dwarf Bradman’s entire six count across all formats.

Bradman’s batting philosophy

• Bradman’s technique relied on placement and quick singles rather than power. His strike rate in Tests (approx. 66) was high for his era, but not built on boundaries alone.

The pattern is clear: Bradman’s approach was built for enduring innings, not explosive cameos.

How good would Don Bradman be today?

Adjusting for era and conditions

• Modern pitches are flatter, bats are lighter, boundaries are shorter, and rules limit bouncers. Statistical models project that Bradman’s Test average would drop to around 65–75 in today’s conditions – still elite, but not the gulf of 99.94 (The Cric Indeed Huddle).

Comparing averages across generations

• Bradman reached 6,000 Test runs in 68 innings – the fastest ever. Steve Smith and Garfield Sobers are tied second at 111 innings (The Cric Indeed Huddle).
• His 12 Test double centuries remain the most by any player (Wikipedia career statistics).

Bradman’s technique in modern cricket

• Bradman’s hand‑eye coordination and footwork would still translate. His famous backyard practice (using a golf ball and a cricket stump) honed reactions that any era would fear.

One pattern emerges from the numbers: even adjusted down, Bradman’s projected modern average would rank among the top three of all time – alongside Steve Smith and Graeme Pollock.

The evidence suggests Bradman would still be among the very best today, though his margin of supremacy would narrow.

Who is the greatest cricketer of all time?

Statistical arguments for Bradman

• Bradman’s Test average is 40% higher than the next best qualifier. Guinness World Records calls it “the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.”

Other contenders

• Sir Garfield Sobers remains the benchmark all‑rounder. Sachin Tendulkar holds records for most runs (15,921 in Tests) and most centuries (100 international hundreds). Viv Richards redefined aggression in the 1970s and 80s.

Subjective nature of “greatest”

• No single metric settles the debate, but Bradman’s margin of statistical superiority is unmatched across any sport. Tendulkar’s longevity and Sobers’ versatility each make strong cases.

The debate will persist, but Bradman’s numbers provide an anchor for every future comparison.

Timeline

• 1908: Born in Cootamundra, New South Wales (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
• 1928: Test debut against England (State Library of South Australia)
• 1930: Scores 974 runs in the Ashes, a record that still stands (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
• 1936–1948: Captains Australia (ESPNcricinfo, the free cricket database)
• 1948: Retires from Test cricket; “The Invincibles” tour (State Library of South Australia)
• 1949: Knighted by King George VI (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
• 2001: Dies in Adelaide (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Test average of 99.94 – verified by multiple official sources (Guinness World Records)
• 29 Test centuries in 80 innings (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
• 12 Test double centuries (most by any batsman) (Wikipedia career statistics)
• Never scored a century in 22 balls in a first‑class or Test match (State Library of South Australia)
• Hit 6 sixes in his Test career (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

What’s unclear

• Exact number of sixes in club and charity matches
• Whether the 22‑ball century story has any factual basis in an exhibition game
• Precise modern‑era projection of his batting average
• How his career might have changed without the interruption of World War II
• Whether his 12 Test double centuries will ever be surpassed

In their own words

“I never tried to hit sixes; I just tried to score runs.”

— Sir Donald Bradman

“He was a machine.”

— Bill Ponsford (teammate), on Bradman’s concentration

“The greatest cricketer of the 20th century.”

— ESPNcricinfo profile

What it means for cricket fans

Bradman’s records are not just numbers – they are a measuring stick for every batsman who follows. For the next generation of cricketers in Australia and beyond, the challenge is not to beat 99.94 (almost certainly impossible) but to understand the discipline and consistency that made one man so far ahead of his time. The data, the myths, and the verdict all point to the same conclusion: Don Bradman remains the statistical outlier that defines the sport.

Frequently asked questions

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