… And quietly flowed The Don into retirement

And while Bradman’s second-ball duck became part of cricketing folklore, Morris’s sparkling performance has been almost forgotten.

“I think if Hollies bowled him today he would have done four cartwheels and kissed by every member of the side,” Morris told Reuters at a reunion bringing together nine of the 11 surviving squad members.

“But the only reaction I remember was someone saying, `Well done Eric, jolly good show.’ ‘ Bradman needed only four runs to end his Test career with an average of 100 when he went out to bat in the fifth and final Test at The Oval.

An expected crowd packed theground in South London and the English gave their tormentor of the previous 20 years three rousing cheers as he walked to the middle.

But the expected onslaught never materialised as Bradman was bowled by Hollies’ second ball googly, leaving him with an agonising career average of 99.94.

“It really was an emotional moment for everyone,” Morris said yesterday, 50 years to the day since the “Invincible” set foot on British soil for the tour. “Typical of Bradman, he just tucked the bat under his arm and walked off as if he had got 100.”

Bradman’s dramatic exit from the Test arena overshadowed what many considers the greatest tour ever undertaken.

Australians won the five Test series by then record margin of 4-0 and were unbeaten in 34 matches on tour, signalling their intentions early by scoring 721 on the first day of the first match against Essex.

The team’s memories toss up sharp contrasts with the game today: travelling on ship for five weeks, playing six days-a-week for months on end in acountry recovering from War, no television coverage, worrying about keeping jobs at home.

Bradman, who no longer apperas in public, was missing from the official dinner and media interviews to mark the reunion, but he met his team-mates earlier at a private reception. `He is in good spirits,” Morris reported of his former partner, who turns 90 later this year. “He is mentally very alert, but he is getting a little older in his movements, as we all are.”Harvey, who was only 19-years-old in his 1948 Test debut, has no doubts the team were among the best ever.

“They had everything going for them. I think their main strength was their all-roundedness,” he said. “And we had Bradman. It gave you a big start.”