CRICKET worldwide is today mourning the death of Sir Donald Bradman, the great Australian and legendary batsman, six months short of his 93rd birthday.

The son of a farmer and carpenter, who graced Worcestershire's ground with his genius, set matchless marks in the game and finished his Test career with an average of 99.94 - including 39 centuries - captaining the invincible Australian side of 1948 to England.

The Don will thus leave an indelible mark on the game - and none more so than at New Road where on three of his four visits he scored double centuries.

It was at Worcester, on April 30, 1930, that he went to the crease for the first time ever in this country - and hit 236.

When the Aussies visited the County in 1934 he scored 206 and when they re-turned in 1938 plundered 258.

The Second World War then interrupted the The Don's potential run feasts at New Road and he and the Australians had to wait until 1948 until they were able to return to Worcestershire.

Tremendous excitement was generated in the city and on the opening day of the match - April 29, 1948 - huge queues of cricket fans built up outside the New Road ground two hours before play.

These wide queues extended for more than 200 yards, completely over Worcester Bridge.

New Road was to see its biggest attendancce ever that day - a staggering 15,000 people. And the next day, too, when The Don went to the crease there were 14,300 spectators in the ground.

Bradman scored 107 and the Aussies went on to win by an innings and 17 runs.

In 1938 The Don was presented with a large, elaborately decorated Royal Worcester vase to mark his three double centuries at New Road. It was his most prized possession.

His 29 Test hundreds is bettered only by India's Sunil Gavaskar and his aggregate of 974 against England in 1930 is far and away the best scored in a Test series.

Bradman was a run-machine, with unerring judgment, the right stroke always available.

Amazingly, he averaged a hundred in every three innings he played, his footwork always swift and sure.

He scored more than 300 on six occasions, such were his powers of concentration and domination of the opposing attack.

Bradman started the way he meant to carry on his fantastic career at the crease, posting 118 on his debut for New South Wales against South Australia in Adelaide in the 1927/28 season.

Of his 338 innings, only 16 were ducks and to emphasise his power of judgment, he was run out on four times - and just once after the age of 21. In all, Bradman compiled 28,067 runs, including 117 hundreds.

Bradman toured England in 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1948, but in Australia in 1932/33, the controversial 'Bodyline' bowling of England was designed to halt his progress.

Partially successful it may have been as Bradman averaged a 'mere' 56.67 in that series.