Damian Bourke - The only batsman to have an average over 500 in First Grade Cricket
Cricket has primarily been about great batsmen who have come in from time to time and left their impression on the game. However, one of the greatest yardsticks on which batsmen have been judged over the years has been their consistency – for example, a legendary batsman is said to be so if he has an average above 40, or say 50.
The game’s history in the world has witnessed many players who have been exceptional with the bat, like we will never forget Don Bradman for his remarkable consistency over years. He had an average of 99.94 in Test cricket and 95.14 in first class cricket.
From that day to yesterday, we have never seen a batsman crossing his record. However, there was a big surprise sprung up when Sydney Grade cricket batsman Damian Bourke turned out for Don Bradman’s old club outfit St George, and created a historic mark in cricket – becoming Bradman’s protege and beating him.
Finding it hard to believe? A fascinating record has been created by Damian Bourke this season after seven rounds of first-grade cricket, while batting for the Saints middle-order – having an average of 528 with the blade, having been dismissed just once, while returning two hundreds and two half-centuries. This is the highest average that has been ever recorded in the first-grade competition.
This record is considered for any batsman who has scored a minimum of 500 runs, and Damian Bourke has beaten the record of former Australian skipper Monty Noble, who finished the 1898/99 summer with 546 runs at 273.00.
This is how Bourke’s first-grade run sheet in 2015/16 reads – 74*, 170*, 49, 175* and 60*.
Earlier on October 24, he made a record-breaking partnership in first-grade history with his team-mate Ashton May for the fourth wicket, by adding 370 runs with him. May top scored with 203 not out, with Bourke hitting an unbeaten 170, allowing St George to declare at 3-391.The partnership between May and Bourke was the fourth highest for any wicket in this history of Sydney Grade cricket.
Former Australian paceman and his club team-mate Trent Copeland reckons, “It was his birthday last week and we had a few drinks after his latest hit, 60 not out, and we were discussing the fact he’s hit 528 at an average of 528.” He also added, “And I said he should probably hang them up. We’ve only got a one-dayer now before Christmas so Damian’s got some soul searching to do as to whether he wants to keep playing. I’d be contemplating going out on a high.
“The real credit here is to how hard Damian’s worked and the price he’s put on his wicket. He’s been batting three, four and five for us so he’s come into both some difficult circumstances, and also some games where he’s had to keep the score moving along for us. So clearly he’s handled both those roles really well and we couldn’t be happier for him. If he can continue in anything like the same vein in the New Year it’ll be very deserved.”
Grade cricket is the name of the senior inter-club or district cricket competitions in each of the Australian states and territories.
It is a hopeful prediction, nothing more at this stage, but early signs are that he can break the record of Don Bradman’s average of 95.14 in first class cricket. After all, which other batsman who averages 500 in First Grade cricket!
Here is a table that shows the list of the batsmen having most averages in first class cricket till this day.
| Player name | Country | Span | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Donald Bradman | Australia | 1927-1949 | 234 | 95.14 |
| Vijay Merchant | India | 1929-1951 | 150 | 71.64 |
| George Headley | West Indies | 1927-1954 | 103 | 69.86 |
| Ajay Sharma | India | 1984-2001 | 129 | 67.46 |
| Bill Ponsford | Australia | 1920-1934 | 162 | 65.18 |
| Bill Woodfull | Australia | 1921-1934 | 174 | 64.99 |
| Shantanu Sugwekar | India | 1987-2002 | 85 | 63.10 |
| KC Ibrahim | India | 1938-1950 | 60 | 61.24 |
| Vinod Kambli | India | 1989-2005 | 129 | 59.67 |
| Vijay Hazare | India | 1934-1967 | 238 | 58.38 |