Michael Roberts in Adelaide, June 2024
Sir Donald Bradman chose to reside in Adelaide following his retirement…rather than in his hometown of Bowral in New South Wales. This had incidental benefits for Sri Lankan cricket lovers in Adelaide; and even for cricketing enthusiasts of the Harry Solomons kind.
I recall that he visited the changerooms of the Under 19 Sri Lankan cricket team captained by one Aravinda De Silva when they played a ‘test match’ vs the Aussie U19 team at the Adelaide Oval: I was chatting with Ranjit Fernando (Manager? Coach?) when he was called away to return to the inner portals of the squad room.
The Don was always ready to encourage the cricketing world – but had, obviously, to be restrained in the degree to which he responded to the multitude of demands for this-or-that. I have yet to ascertain who had engineered his encouragement of the young Sri Lankans in this manner.
Well, some of us Sri Lankan cricketing-nuts in Adelaide were among those who served him with this-or-that. I can now dwell on one or two such efforts – one bearing a kind of trophy in the form of a response with Don Bradman’s distinctive signature.
A = My Letter to Bradman in my capacity as President of the Australia Sri Lanka Association ON 21 December 1989
B = A Signed Letter from the Don responding to a request for his signature within a book on his career.
C = The title page of a Biography on Bradman by Charles Williams
THUS …. This Thuppahi post is a potpourri of Memorabilia around the Persona of Sir Donald Bradman …. with an ink-sketch of Don Bradman by Douglas Davies as a capstone.
As Appendages of a tangential character I add (X) a Website clarification of the manner in which the Welsh artist Douglas Davies developed a fascination with the Don; and (Y) details of the Sri Lankan Under 19 team’s Match Results in Australia.
“Doug and The Don”
“Doug and The Don” is a special exhibition launched by the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket on National Sporting Heritage Day on 30 September 2022 which celebrates the friendship between two men at the opposite ends of the cricketing spectrum – Doug Davies, a genial club cricketer in South Wales and Sir Don Bradman, the world’s finest-ever batter and an Australian sporting icon.
“Doug and The Don” exhibition cabinet. Photo Credit – CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket
“The Don was Doug’s cricketing hero, “explains Dr. Andrew Hignell, the Curator of the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket at Glamorgan Cricket’s headquarters at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. “For nigh on fifty years, the pair exchanged letters, with their friendship starting when Doug did a sketch of the Australian cricketer and sent it to him for The Don to sign.”
“Doug, like his father before him, was a talented artist, and to Doug’s delight he had several opportunities to meet up with The Don and personally handover these sketches to the world’s greatest-ever batter. They also shared a love of music so their friendship was about more things than just cricket.”
“We are thrilled that Doug has decided to donate all of these letters, and many of his sketches, to the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket as they tell a wonderful and heart-warming story about the two men and their families. The items have also been carefully conserved by specialist staff at Glamorgan Archives as well as conservation students from Cardiff University who have been on placement with us over the course of the past few months.”
Dr Justine Reilly, Director and Founder of Sporting Heritage, the CIC behind the national awareness day adds: “National Sporting Heritage Day is a brilliant opportunity to share and celebrate sporting stories, memorabilia, memories and artefacts across all spectrums of the sporting landscape. The ‘Doug and The Don’ exhibition is a wonderful and unique chance to enjoy previously unseen and unheard sporting heritage that played a huge role in the friendship and lives of these two remarkable men.”
This special exhibition includes some of the letters from Don bRadman plus several of Doug’s wonderful sketches. There are also photographs of his own playing career as well as information about visits to Wales by The Don with the Australian touring teams during the 1930s and 1940s. The Exhibition also includes a special film interview with Doug, explaining how his friendship with The Don began and flourished over the years. In addition, there is a second film using a special audio recording made in 1987 which The Don made for Glamorgan Cricket’s Centenary Year celebrations and their Gala Dinner at Lord’s, with The Don reflecting on his visits to Wales for games against Glamorgan.
“We are delighted that this wonderful material will form one of the showcase Exhibitions on National Sporting Heritage Day,” said Dr. Hignell. “We know that a lot of people will want to see these fascinating displays and films.”
Given the large number of visitors already booked to visit the Museum during the coming weeks, anyone wishing to view this Exhibition is encouraged to book in advance by sending an email to museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk . Slots are currently available between 1400 and 1600 on the following dates – October 5, 7, 12, 21, 24 and 27, plus November 3, 4, 15, 16, 22 and 24. Further dates and times will also be available during December and January, and publicised in due course on this website.
The Sri Lanka Under-19s tour of Australia 1984 Matches
Y = https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/sri-lanka-under-19s-tour-of-australia-1983-84-3241
AUS Under-19 vs SL Under-19s – 1st Test|SL Under-19s vs AUS Under-19 – 2nd Test|SL Under-19s vs AUS Under-19 – 1st ODI|AUS Under-19 vs SL Under-19s – 2nd ODI|SL Under-19s vs AUS Under-19 – 3rd Test|AUS Under-19 vs SL Under-19s – 3rd ODI
- Manuka Oval, Canberra
- Adelaide Oval
- Adelaide Oval No 2
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
WINNER = Australia Under-19swon the 3-match YTest series 1-0
WINNER = Australia Under-19swon the 3-match YODI series 2-1
MATCHES
3rd Test, Melbourne, March 03 – 06, 1984, Sri Lanka Under-19s tour of Australia
SL19
356 & 281/2
AUS19
476
Match drawn
3rd ODI, Melbourne, March 08, 1984, Sri Lanka Under-19s tour of Australia
AUS19
223/7
SL19
(48.1/50 ov, T:224) 227/9
SL Under-19s won by 1 wicket (with 11 balls remaining)
ALSO NOTE
https://thuppahis.com/2020/12/11/don-bradmen-and-his-men-in-ceylon-1948/
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