Bradman bats worth $39,000 stolen

Four autographed cricket bats of Sir Donald Bradman worth 40,000 Australian dollars ($39,000) have been stolen from a sports complex in the northern Australian city of Darwin.

Thieves on Thursday broke into the Top End Indoor Sports Centre in the Northern Territory capital, Darwin, and stole the cricketing legend's framed bats valued at $10,000 each, a framed West Indies star batsman Vivian Richards' bat valued at $3,000 and several other valuables and equipment, according to the Darwin police.

Darwin watch commander Gavin Kennedy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), that the thieves would have difficulty selling the loot without being caught.

"It would be difficult, I would imagine, certainly in this country, but we'll see how we go. I've got faith that we'll narrow it down, and hopefully we'll come up with some suspects," he told ABC Radio.

Store owner Graeme Flesfader told ABC: "It is all memorabilia and top range stuff so very disappointing. It looks like someone that we know. To do what they've done, they'd have to know us very well and how we operate, so it's a very sad situation."

One of the cricketing greats of all times, Bradman scored 6,996 runs in 52 test matches between 1928-48 at a remarkable average of 99.94.

Meanwhile, the State Library of South Australia announced that it was moving its Bradman memorabilia collection, including press clippings, bats and trophies, to the Adelaide Oval, home of the South Australia Cricket Association (SACA).

Bradman died at the age of 92 in 2001. There is a Bradman museum at Bowral, south of Sydney.