SYDNEY: A historic “baggy green” Test cap worn by Australian cricket legend Don Bradman has been sold for an astonishing $250,000 at auction on Tuesday, capturing the attention of cricket fans and collectors around the world.
The iconic cap, which was worn by Bradman during India’s 1947-48 tour of Australia—his last Test series on home ground—was nearly 80 years old and showed signs of age, including sun fading, insect damage, and a torn peak. The auction house Bonhams confirmed that it was “the only known baggy green” worn by Bradman during this historic series, where he scored an impressive 715 runs in six innings, including three centuries and a double-hundred, at an average of 178.75.
The auction, which lasted only 10 minutes, saw the price start at $160,000 before quickly escalating to $250,000 (Aus$390,000). With buyer’s fees included, the total cost reached $310,000.
In Australian cricket, the “baggy green” is a cherished symbol, awarded to players before their Test debut, and the more worn and battered the cap, the more valuable it becomes. A different “baggy green” worn by Bradman during his Test debut in 1928 sold for $290,000 in 2020. Meanwhile, Shane Warne’s baggy green sold for $650,000 in the same year to help raise funds for Australian bushfire victims.
Bradman, whose remarkable career left an enduring legacy, retired with a record Test batting average of 99.94 and is hailed by Wisden as the greatest cricketer to ever play the game. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 92.