All other cricket news this week has been overshadowed by the death of Sir Donald Bradman at the age of 92. Statistically he was the greatest run-scorer in the game's history by a huge margin. In his entire first-class career he averaged 95. The next best career average is 71 by his Indian contemporary Vijay Merchant, who averaged 71. Nobody else with a significant career has averaged more than 70. In Test cricket he averaged 99. The runner-up is the South African Graeme Pollock, at just under 61, although Barry Richards, many will remember, averaged 72 in the one series he was allowed to play. The gap is enormous.

He was not only a great cricketer but also a great man who succeeded at all he did. His statistical supremacy happened because nobody else has been able to combine supreme talent with ruthless ambition to the same extent. If Sachin Tendulkar had the same insatiable hunger and ruthless determination for huge scores in every innings he played, or if Geoff Boycott had the same natural talent, the Don might have had an equal.

There are those who say there were greater batsmen than the Don, with Jack Hobbs of England the main candidate. The usual reason given is that Hobbs was a greater batsman on a rain-affected pitch, an obsolete phenomenon in the modern era of covered pitches. It is also true that Hobbs would often give his wicket away after he had scored his fifty or his hundred. But Hobbs scored a century once in every six innings on average, Bradman one in three. Hobbs passed fifty once in every three innings, Bradman better than one in two. Great though Hobbs undoubtedly was, the statistical difference is too big.

Many have been calling Don Bradman the greatest cricketer of all time. I do think though that he has a strong rival here in the legendary nineteenth-century cricketer Doctor W G Grace. Grace's career average of 39 may not look impressive, but in fact Grace was at his peak in the 1870s, when he averaged well over 50 on poor pitches where an average of 20 was considered good. To equate it to modern standards, perhaps double it – and that puts Grace level with Bradman as a batsman. After about 1880 Grace was never quite as good again, but in the 1870s he dominated the game with bat alone just as effectively as Bradman did throughout in his career.

Grace was also a bowler good enough to take almost 3000 first-class wickets very cheaply, but his greatest contribution to cricket was that his supreme batsmanship transformed the game, even more than Bradman did. The game of cricket developed almost beyond recognition during Grace's career, and he was responsible for much of it, and not even Bradman had quite that influence – or could have done. Grace was a pioneer and most of the development of cricket had been done by the time Bradman arrived.

But Bradman too took the art of batting to new heights, and the modern fast-bowling warfare was first really developed by the English under Douglas Jardine, in the persons particularly of Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, as a method of curbing the power of Bradman's bat. It reduced Bradman's average in the series to a more mortal 56, forced him to play out of character, and won the series for England – the only time England were able to win a series against Australia once Bradman had established himself in Test cricket. But it was seen as so contrary to the spirit of the game that it was banned by legislation – in its most extreme form, anyway.

Although he was an extremely ruthless player and made enemies in his youth, Bradman has always been held up as a role model for the young. His behaviour on the field of play was, along with most others of his time, beyond reproach. He was rightly revered by modern Australian players, but some of them choose to ignore the fact that this most ruthless of cricketers played without sledging, swearing or throwing tantrums on the field. Bradman was the most manly of cricketers and the hardest on the field of play. With this in view, it would be interesting to hear how some of his modern countrymen justify their supposedly macho image that is so unlike that of their hero.

Will there ever be another batsman as great as Bradman? Many say never. Never is a long time for a game that in its present form has existed for less than 150 years. If it lasts another thousand years without being too badly mutilated by coming generations, it may just be possible. But that individual will have to have the same incredible talent and the same awesome determination as the Don in the same body. But probably none of us will be around to find out.

I went along with several Zimbabwe cricketers to the Australian High Commission in Harare on the morning of Thursday 1 March to sign a book of condolences for Sir Donald. A lady diplomat there testified how he had been an inspiration to so many Australian cricketers and cricket-lovers, including her own family. As long as cricket exists, the name of Sir Donald Bradman will be pre-eminent.

LOGAN CUP

This weekend the Logan Cup goes into its second round with the weather as threatening as it was for the first round two weeks ago. The matches are as follows – weather permitting:

Matabeleland v Manicaland, at Bulawayo Athletic Club
Midlands v CFX Academy, at Kwekwe Sports Club
Mashonaland A v Mashonaland, at Harare Sports Club

The Midlands-Academy match has been transferred from the CFX home ground at Country Club, Harare, to Kwekwe Sports Club as the former is waterlogged. Since that decision was made, a great deal more rain has fallen on the country and we will be fortunate indeed if we can enjoy even one worthwhile match.

THIS ISSUE

In this issue we continue our portraits of the Academy players with Keith Dabengwa and Campbell McMillan. We have club reports from Clive Ruffell, one of which was delayed due to my e-mail breakdown. We review the Board XI matches against Border B last weekend, and provincial news, as well as a statistical analysis of Grant Flower's Test career.

LETTERS AND SCHOOL REPORTS

Unfortunately we can include no letters or school reports because, although I could send out e-mails, my incoming e-mail system was not fixed until Wednesday, so no doubt there have been a number of letters and school reports that were just bounced back to the sender. If you had this experience, please send again and we will include it in the next issue. Technology permitting.

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