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A prized cricket bat signed by the legendary Don Bradman and other cricketing greats has been discovered in a cottage.

The incredibly rare piece of willow carries the autographs of all the English and Australian players from the 1938 Ashes contest.

That home series also featured English giants of the game Wally Hammond, Len Hutton, Denis Compton and Bill Edrich.

The bat was part of a three bat stand which stood at the top of the stairs of a 17th century thatched cottage near Shaftesbury, Dorset.