Sir Don Bradman – Squash and Golf
The Don of cricket will always be remembered for his Test average of 99.94. No one will ever come close to him and the next best is Steve Smith with an average of almost 65. In a total of 52 Tests, Bradman scored 29 centuries, which included 12 double tons and 2 triple tons.
After moving to Adelaide in 1934, Bradman tried other sport like Squash, Billiards and Golf. In 1939 he became the South Australian state champion squash player. He also won the Mount Osmond Golf Club Championship in 1935 and 1949. He continued playing golf until his late 80s.
Bradman’s excellent play in 1930 Ashes in England will always be remembered. He scored 974 runs in 7 innings of 5 matches. In the last innings he needed just 4 runs to maintain his average of 100. But unfortunately he was dismissed for a second-ball duck. Don’s name is etched on stamps, coins, roads, ICC Hall of Fame, a Bradman museum, besides the cricket’s folklore.
Denis Compton – Football
He is one of the elite players to have scored more than 100 first-class centuries. Throughout his career he played for Middlesex and scored over 38,000 runs. This included 123 centuries and 183 fifties. In international cricket, he scored his first Test century in 1938 Ashes at the age of 20.
His international career went on for 20 years where he scored 5807 runs from 78 Tests with average of 50 and 7 centuries. In the 1948 Ashes, Compton was the lone fighter for England. He scored 184 at Trent Bridge and 145 at Old Trafford, where the next highest score was 37.
Apart from cricket, Compton played professional football too as a sport. His career began at non-league Nunhead in 1933–34. Later he debuted for Arsenal as winger in 1936. He scored 16 goals, won the league in 1948 and FA Cup in 1950. His knee injury ended his football career.
Compton’s cricketing career could have been longer if the Second World War didn’t happen. During that time he served in India in the army. Compton was inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009. In memory of him, Compton Stand is made at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.