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Steve Waugh provided a glimpse into his dreamtime about this time last year. Asked to provide a contemporary cricketer's perspective of Sir Donald Bradman at 90, Waugh revealed the game's greatest batsman was the focal point of his favourite and recurring dream.

``In my favourite dream, I have a vantage point high on the Hill at a packed Sydney Cricket Ground and I am watching Don Bradman, one of the world's greatest ever sportsmen, carve into an English attack,'' Waugh wrote.

``It is a mild summer's day and the operators in the old scoreboard are working overtime as Bradman cruises to another dazzling century and hundreds of Stetsons are thrown in the air in tribute to the maestro. This is as good as it gets; can ever get.''

Not so, as Waugh discovered last week when Sir Donald happily received him in the lounge-cum-reception room of the house at Kensington Park, Adelaide, which has been his home since moving from NSW in 1935.

Previously Waugh had met Sir Donald only fleetingly and he had long yearned to spend quality time with him.

``It was such a privilege, said Waugh, who is leading the Australian one-day team in Sri Lanka in a triangular series before taking charge of the five-day team for three Test matches starting next month.

For an hour and 15 minutes, Sir Donald and Waugh sat at a table discussing the game, its history, issues and personalities. For much of the conversation they were joined by Sir Donald's son John, 60, who has not been far from his father's side since the death of Lady Bradman in September 1997.

``I really wanted to spend more time with him and hope I can again some time in the future,'' Waid said. ``I was just starting when it was time to go. It was great to talk to him; just to be in his presence.

``There was so much more I would have liked to ask. But I did'nt want him to think I was interrogating him. But I felt just touched the tip of the iceberg and would love to have another meeting and to find out about so many people - Babe Ruth included.

``It would be wonderful if he was more accessible to players. There is so much to learn from him. We talked about the players of his day and the pitch conditions and, of course, about captaincy.

``And he talked of his enjoyment of the one-day game and how he watches it on television.''

Waugh, who continues to evolve as one of the most interesting and impressive figures in world cricket, said he believed it was a vital part of his development as Australia captain to seek the counsel of Sir Donald.

``He was so humble he didn't give much away, really. He said other players were more talented than him and that he probably wasn't the greatest of captains.

``We had a laugh about that,'' said Waugh, who this year needed to perform a succession of miraculous deeds to level the Test series in the West Indies and win the World Cup in England before the strident critics of his leadership finally desisted.

``The most amazing thing was to learn that Sir Donald never got hit on the hands - not once in 20 years. I find that absolutely amazing, I asked him how that was possible and he said you were only hit on the hands if you missed the ball. Apparently he never missed a ball. He said he once got hit on the bicep and it stung.''

Waugh couldn't resist the urge to ask Sir Donald if he could offer any tips on how the Australia could account for the Indian master Sachin Tendulkar when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starts in Adelaide in December.

Ad admirer of Tendulkar, who averaged 111.50 in three Tests against the Australians in India last year, Sir Donald said he would need to see more of the Indian before making any judgements.

Waugh said he would stay in touch.

Along with Australia's vice-captain, Shane Warne, Tendulkar was in Adelaide last year to celebrate Sir Donald's 90th birthday.

He was just 11 days away from his 91st birthday and Waugh offered his congratulations and presented him with a leather-bound copy of his successful photographic book - Images of Waugh.

Naturally he had his trusty camera on hand and will forever treasure the photographs. And given his burgeoning interest in writing it will be surprising if he does not pen an account of the meeting sometime in the future.

waugh, who has a strong sense of cricket history, carried with him copies of Sir Donald's renowned The Art of Cricket and A. G. (Johnnie) Moyes' 1948 biography of Sir Donald to be signed.

While Sir Donald now finds it increasingly difficult to sign especially at the rate demanded by his daily post - he happily dedicated the books and then presented Waugh with a special inscribed copy of The Art of Cricket.

As Sir Donald farewelled waugh and wished him well for the tour of Sri Lanka, no doubt his mind turned to Colombo in April 1930 when, at the age of 21, he played his first innings outside Australia. Before a record crowd in enervating heat he batted with restraint for 40 in a modest tally of 213 before being out ``hit wicket'' - the first of only such mishaps in his career.

Poor health did not permit him to play when the 1934 and 1938 Australian team to England stopped off in Colombo but in 1948 he cautiously gathered 20 on a pitch subsequently found to be two yards short.

A replica of a Buddhist temple at Kandy presented to Sir Donald in 1930 is permanently exhibited in the Bradman Collection at the Mortlock Library of South Australia.

Waugh will lead Australia in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy on September 9.