Dear Editor,
I think Mark Bender in his interesting letter made a mistake in omitting George Headley from his list of great batsmen measured against The Don (‘Bradman is the best batsman the world has ever produced’ SN, January 22). In 22 Tests and 40 Test innings George Headley scored 2190 runs at an average of 60.83 with 10 centuries and 5 half centuries. He scored a century every 4 innings. Statistically he is second only to Bradman. But, in addition, as CLR James pointed out, two points put him ahead of Bradman. First, Headley is unmatched on wet, unfavourable wickets. An analysis has been made of his performance on sticky wickets when no one else could do a thing; in 13 such innings he passed 50 seven times and averaged 40. In 15 comparable innings on sticky wickets Bradman passed 50 only once and averaged 17. When the going was difficult Headley has never been surpassed. Secondly, Headley always had to score his runs under the pressure of knowing that if he failed the team was likely to fail. In his heyday, between 1930 and1938, Bradman had Ponsford, Woodful, Kippax, McCabe, Brown and Hassett, all of whom could score heavily. Headley never had anyone he could really depend on, the team depended on him. It was not for nothing he was called Atlas. And little wonder that when Australians praised Headley by calling him the Black Bradman West Indians reciprocated by naming Bradman the White Headley.
Yours faithfully,
Ian McDonald
