Don Bradman Cricket Bat by Sykes.
Don Bradman Cricket Bat by Sykes.
Vintage Sykes Juniors Cricket Bat.
A fine Sykes juniors cricket bat called 'Boundary Driver'. The blade has good dark patination and is in good condition with a cord strung grip and triple sprung handle. The shoulders are embossed "SYKES" Horbury, England, the front of the blade with a facsimile autograph of Don Bradman and the name of the bat "Boundary Driver", to the rear 'William Sykes Ltd'.
William Sykes was about 23 when he started a saddlers business in Horbury with his new wife in 1870. The business was very successful and after a few years Sykes added footballs to the other leather goods he was producing. Sykes further expanded by selling cricket bats, later manufacturing them himself. Sykes managed to get Sir Donald Bradman (considered the greatest batsman to have played the game) to endorse his bats. Sykes's two sons later joined the business creating Wm. Sykes & Sons. Around 1940 because of the Second World War, Sykes merged with other sporting manufactures to help in the war effort. During heavy bombing in London the Slazenger factory, along with the Gradidge factory was damaged. The two manufacture's managed to continue production at other plants but the big four (Slazenger, Sykes, Gradidge and Ayres) decided to combine their resources. After the war they all stayed together and the company known as 'Slazengers Sykes Gradidge and Ayres' was created, in its heyday they operated across the world.
Dimensions:
C. 1920's
Willow
England
Good with good patina.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://sportantiques.co.uk/cricket-1/bats/don-bradman-cricket-bat-by-sykes&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/sportantiques-64hFGwj3-uEHU73t22/stock/612e966e4241d_3_26717.jpg&description=Vintage Sykes Juniors Cricket Bat.A fine Sykes juniors cricket bat called 'Boundary Driver'. The blade has good dark patination and is in good condition with a cord strung grip and triple sprung handle. The shoulders are embossed "SYKES" Horbury, England, the front of the blade with a facsimile autograph of Don Bradman and the name of the bat "Boundary Driver", to the rear 'William Sykes Ltd'.William Sykes was about 23 when he started a saddlers business in Horbury with his new wife in 1870. The business was very successful and after a few years Sykes added footballs to the other leather goods he was producing. Sykes further expanded by selling cricket bats, later manufacturing them himself. Sykes managed to get Sir Donald Bradman (considered the greatest batsman to have played the game) to endorse his bats. Sykes's two sons later joined the business creating Wm. Sykes & Sons. Around 1940 because of the Second World War, Sykes merged with other sporting manufactures to help in the war effort. During heavy bombing in London the Slazenger factory, along with the Gradidge factory was damaged. The two manufacture's managed to continue production at other plants but the big four (Slazenger, Sykes, Gradidge and Ayres) decided to combine their resources. After the war they all stayed together and the company known as 'Slazengers Sykes Gradidge and Ayres' was created, in its heyday they operated across the world.){kind=link}