LONDON and MUMBAI, India, Nov. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Before live coverage of cricket, when the sport defined nations and individuals were merely the warrior class, the greatest cricketer of all time faced his first-ever Test ball. It was November 1928 when Donald Bradman walked on to the pitch at Exhibition Ground in Brisbane to face England. His only defence was extraordinary self-belief and a cricket bat. That day was to become the defining moment in cricket; from that point on, national pride would ultimately give way to the cult of personality. That bat is now for sale.
The full size 'Duke & Son - Warren Bardsley' bat features 47 signatures including Douglas Jardine who would later captain England during the 'Bodyline' tour of Australia in 1932-33. Such was the enmity between Bradman and Jardine that on the latter's death in 1958, Bradman refused to give a tribute. Poor sportsmanship? Not when you consider that 25 years earlier, Jardine instructed his men to refer to Bradman in a very insulting way. It was a calculated manoeuvre to condition his team against the one man who could rob them of victory. The 'Bodyline' Test series became the most contentious and brutal competition in the history of contemporary sport.
The bat was donated by Bradman in 1930 to a charity fundraiser hosted by The Sun newspaper in Sydney. It was won by a young student and it remained in his family for 78 years until it was sold in 2008 by Leski Auctions and displayed at the National Sports Museum at the MCG.
"There are many items of Bradman memorabilia that are prized but none holds the mystique of his first bat in his first Test match," says Charles Leski. "Sir Donald changed cricket in ways that no-one had before or since, although many have come close. A remarkable career began 85 years ago with this bat."
NB: In a world first, Mossgreen is auctioning three more Bradman bats including the bat he used at Trent Bridge in 1930 to score his first Test century in England.
Lot 698 has a pre-sale estimate of $120,000 - $150,000. (NB: Image available at http://www.mossgreen.com.au/images/lot/1922/19227_2.jpg
The lot will be offered for sale by Mossgreen in Melbourne on Thursday, December 5th at 2.30pm.
Single-owner auction specialist, Mossgreen, and Leski Auctions, one of Australia's largest auctioneers of coins, stamps and sporting memorabilia merged in July 2013, creating an entity with $20 million annual turnover.
Mossgreen, as the new entity is known, is a market leader in the sale of Australian & international art, Indigenous art, Chinese & Asian arts, decorative arts, early photography, books, medals, coins, stamps, maps, travel memorabilia, advertising posters and sporting memorabilia.
Mossgreen holds the record for any artwork by a living artist sold in Australia with John Olsen's Love in the Kitchen, 1969, selling for $1.09 million in 2006.
Mossgreen also set a new auction record for any Asian artwork in Australia when it sold a 15th century Chinese gilt bronze figure for $1.22 million in 2012.
Leski Auctions, established in 1973, previously sold many significant collections, including those of Shirley Strickland, Ron Clarke, Sir Reginald Ansett and former RSL President, Bruce Ruxton. It has sold more 'baggy green' caps than any other auction house in the world. Leski Auctions sold the Phar Lap horse tonic recipe book and achieved a world record price for a Bradman bat.
Charles Leski is a Director at Mossgreen and a registered valuer for the Cultural Gifts Program through the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. He is also the valuer of the displayed items at the National Sports Museum at the MCG, Melbourne.
Mossgreen offers an online, real-time bidding system 'Mossgreen live(TM)', which allows live auction participation from anywhere in the world.
Mossgreen is located at 926-930 High Street Armadale, Victoria 3143 Australia. Tel +61 3 9508 8888, www.mossgreen.com.au
Issued by:
Charles Leski,
Mossgreen
Tel: +61 3 9508 8888
charles.leski@mossgreen.com.au
Michael Krape,
Michael Krape Consulting
Tel: +61 403 135 880
michaelkrape@krape.com.au
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