CRICKET – THE BRADMAN YEARS 48. GEELONG WEST CRICKET CLUB 1928-29 Member’s Ticket number “33”; W.H. Robinson, Hon. Sec.��������������������$100–150 49 49. DON BRADMAN’S NEW SOUTH WALES STATE CAP , circa 1928 A New South Wales state cricket team cap, blue wool, State badge worked in ivory and red silk, Farmers Sydney label inscribed “D.BRADMAN” in black ink. Offered together with a letter to the original vendor (dated December 1999) in which Sir Donald writes “ ...when playing for N.S.W. I was given a new cap every year. Andy Barlow was a friend of mine and a Test umpire and he asked me if I would give it to him for a keepsake. It was probably the second cap I ever had” . The 1927-28 season was the first time Bradman was selected to represent New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield side. His debut was brilliant, scoring 118 in his first innings against the bowling of the likes of Clarrie Grimmett (Dec.1927). He was only the twentieth Australian to score a century on his first-class debut. The following season, 1928-29 is when Bradman believed he was presented with this cap. In the match against Queensland, he scored a century in each innings (October 1928). Against the visiting M.C.C. team he scored 87 and 132 for New South Wales. (November 1928). In the third Test match against England, he scored 79 and 112 (December 1928) and was an automatic selection for Tests subsequently. In January 1929 Bradman scored 340 v Victoria at Sydney, then the highest score made on the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was the highest score ever made by a batsman under twenty-one, and he was the youngest Australian to play an innings of 300 and over. THE PRESENT CAP , ON THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 20 YEARS, IS THE OLDEST KNOWN PRIMARY OBJECT ASSOCIATED WITH SIR DONALD BRADMAN’S FIRST CLASS CAREER TO APPEAR AT PUBLIC AUCTION. Provenance: Christie’s Australia, 16th & 17th April 2000 - Lot 730.����������������������������������������������������������������� $30,000–50,000 50. DON BRADMAN, original photograph ( 8.5 x 6cm) of Don Bradman & Archie Jackson in 1928-29 from Bradman’s own collection; together with 1981 (12th May) letter on ‘Sir Donald Bradman’ letterhead, which enclosed this (and two other photographs); the letter signed “Don” .����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $250–350 15