Don Bradman and Glamorgan

Martin Chandler | 4:05pm GMT 28 December 2025

Published: 2025
Pages: 21
Author: Hignell, Andrew
Publisher: Museum of Welsh Cricket
Rating: 3.5 stars

I do not suppose it will happen very often, but with the fifth in their series of monographs the Museum of Welsh Cricket has chosen to embrace a subject that could fairly be described to be of potentially wide appeal.

And I don’t even need to explain why, the name of the greatest run scorer the game has seen appearing in the title. I dare say more than a few copies of this limited edition of 100 will find their way to Australia.

Will the Bradman collectors learn anything new about their hero from reading this monograph? I have to say I suspect they almost certainly will.

Bradman toured England as a cricketer four times, in 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1948. He played against Glamorgan twice, on the first and third of those tours. Interestingly the Welsh county are one of just four of the First Class counties against whom Bradman failed to record a century. Against only two does he have a lower average than the 41.00 he managed against Glamorgan.

The two Bradman visits to the Principality involved games at Swansea and there are detailed accounts of both matches in the monograph. These convey a vivid impression of the huge pulling power of the great Australian despite the weather even though on neither occasion was the weather particularly kind to the hosts.

The county had hoped that Bradman would lead out his team of ‘Invincibles’ for one last appearance in 1948 but, to the great disappointment of all his admirers in Wales, Bradman gave the game a miss and vice-captain Lindsay Hassett led the team out.

But there is rather more than just a couple of match reports in the monograph. As well as that there is a digression after the 1930 fixture to a County Championship match that took place in 1932 between Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire, part of the early experiments that gave rise to the ‘Bodyline’ tactics that were ranged against Bradman and his Australian teammates in 1932/33.

And there is also an examination, although Hignell’s research concludes it was never really going to happen, on the subject of Bradman leading a Rest of the World side against the county towards the end of the 1948 tour in order to celebrate the county’s first Championship title, which they unexpectedly took that year.

At the end of the monograph there is also a look at some letters from Bradman to a long standing Welsh correspondent, which shed light on some of the issues that Hignell had already highlighted.

So all in all a thoroughly enjoyable read. The monograph is extensively illustrated with images of exhibits from the Museum’s exhibits and my only slight disappointment is that it has been cut down from A4 size to A5 with a consequent reduction in the font size. The finished product is therefore slightly cheaper, but those whose eyesight is not quite as sharp as it once was will probably share my feelings – or perhaps I should just get some new glasses?

Copies can be order from the Museum, museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk, or from Roger Page in Australia.