A pair of vintage Don Bradman "Autograph" Sykes used cricket bats, both bats are in good condition with signs of use to the face, (2)  Donald Bradm

A pair of vintage Don Bradman "Autograph" Sykes used cricket bats, both bats are in good condition with signs of use to the face, (2)  Donald Bradman, widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time, used bats produced by Sykes throughout his career. In 1929, shortly after Bradman scored the then highest First-Class innings of 340 while playing for New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sykes signed him up to help promote what became known as the Don Bradman bat, or the Autograph bat. On the 15th September 1940, during The Blitz on London, it is thought that incendiary bombs fell on the Slazenger factory. The Gradidge factory in Woolwich similarly suffered. The competing William Sykes Ltd factory at Horbury was undamaged by the bombings. Slazenger and Gradidge were able to continue production at other facilities but began a series of mergers with competing companies. In 1942, it acquired William Sykes Ltd. to broaden its wartime production facilities. Around 1943, Slazenger acquired F. H. Ayres. Thereafter the company was known as Slazengers Sykes Gradidge and Ayres.