September 27 Friday 2002
Australian cricketer gets historic century - off the field

PERTH, Australia: Ted Martin, who once played alongside the legendary Sir Donald Bradman, on Thursday completed the first century of the new Australian cricket season, without even going on the field.

Martin celebrated his 100th birthday here, the only Australian first-class player to achieve that milestone. The former Western Australian leg-spin bowler marked the occasion with a quiet party at home with his family and a few friends. No other Australian cricketer had reached a century of years. The closest was Ray Bardsley, of New South Wales, who was 99 years and five months old when he died in 1983.

"I'm old in time, but not in mind," Martin said, as he reflected on the highlight 70 years ago of his first-class career. When Western Australia met the touring England side at the start of the controversial 1932-33 Ashes tour, dominated by England's use of the notorious Bodyline tactics, Martin captured six wickets.

A week later, he was chosen in an Australian XI, including Bradman, to meet England again, though he did not take a wicket in that clash.

"It's nice to have beaten Bradman at something," he said, referring to Sir Donald's death last year at the age of 92.