The announcement of Steve Waugh’s plan to retire from Test cricket has led to a number of media stories that bracket his career with the Don. This is an ideal opportunity, therefore, to remind sportsfans of how incomparable Bradman was.

Waugh will retire with either the record for total Test runs or will remain second to countryman Alan Border, depending on how he fares in the series against India. His average will be about 51.
Bradman’s Test average was 100 (rounded).

Are the bowlers Waugh faced or the fielding that much more superlative than were the case for Bradman that these factors could account for an average almost half of the Don’s? We think not. This is not to denigrate Steve Waugh, clearly an all-time great and arguably among the top 2 or 3 of the last 25 years. Rather, let us ponder the stupendous feats of the Bowral Boy!