Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman in test history and Australia's most revered sporting figure, has died in Adelaide, aged 92.

The Director of the Bradman Foundation, Richard Mulvaney, said the cricketing great died peacefully in his sleep yesterday. "Sir Donald Bradman died yesterday morning, peacefully at his home, after a short illness with pneumonia," Mulvaney said.

"The Don" became a national sporting hero during the 1930s and 1940s when he rewrote cricket's record books by scoring 6,996 runs in 52 tests at an average of 99.94.

No other player before or since has come close to matching his batting average.

In all first-class cricket, Bradman scored 28,067 runs at 95.14, including a staggering 117 centuries, 31 double centuries, five triple centuries and one innings of 400-plus.

England's chairman of selectors David Graveney felt the news of Bradman's death would be certain to "rock" Australia.

He said: "It is a sad loss for the game, the word icon is perhaps used too often, but it does apply to him.

"It is a sad loss, particularly in Australia where he was highly regarded and loved.

"I have been fortunate to go to Australia a couple of times and you do really understand the status of Sir Donald and so it will rock Australia to its foundations." "I don't think his batting record will ever be touched, so as far as a batsman I don't think anyone will ever get anywhere near the records he has set."