Lot #81 DON BRADMAN'S FIRST TEST BAT: Full size "Duke & Son - Warren Bardsley" Cricket bat, signed to the reverse under the headings 1928 England and Australia - 19 signatures from the 1928-29 English team headed by Chapman, including Jardine, Tate (2), Hendren, Leyland, Patuadi, Larwood; and to the right reverse 17 signatures headed unusually by Jackson and including an early Bradman, Ryder, Woodfull, Andrews, O'Reilly & Richardson. 47 signatures in all. Unique and desirable.

DON BRADMAN'S FIRST TEST BAT:

Full size "Duke & Son - Warren Bardsley" Cricket bat, signed to the reverse under the headings 1928 England and Australia - 19 signatures from the 1928-29 English team headed by Chapman, including Jardine, Tate (2), Hendren, Leyland, Patuadi, Larwood; and to the right reverse 17 signatures headed unusually by Jackson and including an early Bradman, Ryder, Woodfull, Andrews, O'Reilly, Richardson. Later inclusions collected by Bradman for this charity item include Richardson, Ironmonger and Alexander. 47 signatures in all. Unique and desirable.

This is Don Bradman's first Test cricket bat, donated by him for 'The Most Popular Boy Cricketer Competition for Don Bradman's Bat' arranged by The Sun newspaper (Sydney) in 1930. Boys sold tickets, referred to as "runs", at a cost of 1d each, with the money raised to endow the "Don Bradman Cot" at the hospital. The winner of the competition was George Lethbridge, then a student at Mowbray House School, Chatswood, whose 27,554 runs represented over £114 to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. Lethbridge has signed the upper reverse, but a keen eye will also spot Bradman's 'DGB' signature in the upper reverse space just below the corded grip.

This bat marks the beginning of Bradman's Test career. Bradman played his first Test in November 1928 scoring 18 and 1 on a wet pitch. With this bat he also scored 106 for St George v Gordon, and a double - 131 and 133* for NSW, both in October.

The bat was presented to George Lethbridge in September 1930 by the Lord Mayor of Sydney and had been in the family ever since. The bat has been on display in the Cricketers' Club of New South Wales and was also on display as part of an "Australian Icons" exhibition at the State Library of New South Wales in 2006.

The bat is accompanied by the original certificate awarded to George Lethbridge.

First sold by Leski Auctions in September 2008, and put on display at the National Sports Museum at the MCG from 2008-2012.