Category Archives: cricket for amity

Mahinda Wijesinghe, in ESPNcricinfo on 4th February 2004, … deploying this title  ”Australia’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka”

Conveniently situated midway between Australia and England, Ceylon, as the island was then known, provided touring cricket teams with a perfect chance to break their long journey and refresh their sea legs. No doubt the most famous of all Australian cricketers to visit Ceylon was Don Bradman. His first visit, aged 22 and on the threshold of becoming the most feared batsman of all time, was in 1930 and was the first occasion that he had donned his pads outside his native land. The Australians, led by Bill Woodfull, were dismissed for 233 (Kelaart 6 for 65) with The Don contributing 40 and the locals replied with 52 for 1 when rain intervened. Incidentally, Bradman was dismissed `hit-wicket’ by the first delivery bowled by Neil Joseph. In his first book, published in 1930, he commented: “The cricket enclosure was a pleasant surprise; it was an excellent ground and a big crowd turned out…the people were most enthusiastic and they had infinitely more than a nodding acquaintance with the game.”

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