By Editor 
Sir Donald Bradman achieved one of the greatest batting feats ever seen in cricket history when he scored a century in only 3 overs against Bill Black during a charity match between Blackheath and Lithgow in Australia on 2 November 1931. Back then, an over consisted of 8 balls. This incredible performance still leaves fans wondering — Who Scored A Century In Just 3 Overs?
| Date | Match (Teams) | Format | Balls/overs to 100 | Score (player) | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1931 | Blackheath XI v Lithgow XI (NSW) | Exhibition / club (8-ball overs) | ~22 balls (3 eight-ball overs) | 256 (Don Bradman) — reached 100 during the 3 overs | Bradman’s famous 3-over century in a charity match (not first-class). (ESPN Cricinfo) |
| 18 Jan 2015 | South Africa v West Indies — Wanderers, Johannesburg | ODI | 31 balls | 149 (A. B. de Villiers) — 149 off 44; hundred in 31 balls | Fastest ODI century (record). (ESPN Cricinfo) |
| 11 Sep 2007 | West Indies v South Africa — ICC World T20 (Johannesburg) | T20 / T20I | 30 balls (approx.) | 117 (Chris Gayle) — century in ~30 balls (first T20I hundred) | Gayle’s explosive World T20 century — one of the benchmark T20 tons. (ESPN Cricinfo) |
| 1 Jan 2014 | New Zealand v West Indies — Queenstown (Events Centre) | ODI | 36 balls | 131* (Corey Anderson) — 131* off 47; hundred in 36 balls | Broke the previous ODI record (later beaten by de Villiers). (ESPN Cricinfo) |
| 27 Sep 2023 | Nepal v Mongolia — Asian Games / T20 | T20I | 34 balls | 100 (Kushal Malla) — hundred in 34 balls | Fastest T20I hundred (historic T20I mark for Nepal). (ESPN Cricinfo) |
Sir Donald Bradman
Don Bradman is widely considered Australia and world cricket fans’ great batsman, scoring an unofficial century in three overs during a charity match at Blackheath in 1931. This feat, while unofficial, cemented Don’s legacy. This unbelievable achievement remains in people’s memories even today without video highlights being readily available to capture such feats as those made possible today with video highlights.
At Blackheath, a local brewery organized a fundraiser match to commemorate the opening of a concrete pitch. Bradman played against two club-level bowlers – Horrie Baker and Bill Black from Bowlers Club of South Australia – in a three-over game lasting roughly an hour, during which time he scored 100 runs – 29 fours and 14 sixes were scored by Bradman alone!
Modern T20 league batsmen may have become adept at hitting sixes every time out, but no one could match Sir Donald Bradman for sheer batting ability and bowler manipulation. His ability to read the game and manipulate bowlers made him unstoppable as a batsman and bowler alike were rendered powerless against him. Bradman was renowned for being consistently disciplined batsman while still having an aggressive approach that rivaled even those of today’s T20 stars.
In 1928, Donald Bradman scored his inaugural Test century against England at Melbourne and stunned many who doubted he would achieve such an feat. This achievement sent shockwaves through Australia as it highlighted its battered self-esteem and frayed social fabric.
In 1930, Bradman began touring England. In his first two games against Kent and Yorkshire at The Oval he scored 185 and 78 respectively before rain interrupted play and stopped play entirely. On his final Test against Yorkshire at The Oval he entered to an ovation from spectators, needing just four runs to pass his career average of 100; unfortunately however, one ball from Hollies struck his bat, clipped the bails, and Bradman was dismissed without scoring even one run!
Blackheath vs Lithgow
Sir Donald Bradman (known by his nickname of ‘The Don’) scored an outstanding 256 runs for Blackheath against Lithgow on a malthoid pitch at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of NSW during a 1931 match that served as a testimonial match for local coal miner Oscar Wendell Bill. Bradman began attacking from his first over onwards – taking 38 off it, then passing his hundred in under 18 minutes! (This was back when an over consisted of eight deliveries!)
Bill Black had bowled an over, which Bradman had scored off earlier, that had caused him to be dismissed in an upcountry match just weeks earlier. Waters reminded Bradman of this fact, prompting him to score as many runs as possible off Bill Black’s over and the scoreboard then read 664244661 before one single and 40 runs from Horrie Baker’s next over were scored off by Horrie Baker himself.
Bill and Bradman shared a century partnership of 357 runs and Blackheath team managed to beat Lithgow by 129 runs. At that time, Peter Sutton (the mayor of Blackheath at that time) asked Don Bradman for his bat as a souvenir and agreed, promising it back “when I’m done using it”. A few years later he fulfilled this promise and sent it along.