Within minutes of the news that Bradman had died in his sleep at age 92 on Sunday, Australia was in mourning. For many Australians the passing of Sir Donald Bradman will be like a death in the family. Flags flew at half mast in Cootamundra. Rush hour traffic slowed in some towns. The boss of Australia's biggest grocer Woolworths began a company briefing with a tribute to Bradman.
People are in a daze.
The streets are quiet. But it was a national sadness not just for the passing of a man, but for what he represented. He was a man who rose from humble beginings in a small country town to be the world's greatest test cricketer. Bradman rewrote cricket's record books in the 1930s and 1940s by scoring 6,996 runs in 52 tests at an average of 99.94. No other player before or since has come close.