The bat used by Downend-born cricket legend WG Grace to score his 1,000th Test run is expected to fetch up to £30,000 at auction.

After scoring his 1,000th Test run for England against Australia at Lords in June 1896, Grace gave the bat to Australian cricketer Syd Gregory, who then gave it to his teammate and brother-in-law, Harry Donnan.

Donnan went on to become the mentor of Australia's greatest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman, at St George's District Cricket Club, and through his association there, Mr Donnan passed the bat on to club president Les Blackshaw, who bequeathed it to his family.

Then, on April 4, 2005, the bat was sold at an auction in Sydney, Australia, and then sold on to the present unidentified owner, who now plans to sell the bat at Graham Budd Auctions at Sotheby's in London on May 12.

The bat is signed by Grace and other England greats, including Lyttleton, Hayward, Stoddart, Lilley, Barlow, Hearne and captain AW Webbe.

It is also signed by Australia's "demon" bowler Fred Spoffort and future Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

The bat will be sold with a photograph of the 1896 England cricket team, with the heavily-bearded Grace sitting in the middle.

Grace was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1896.

William Gilbert Grace was born at Downend on July 18, 1848.

When he was six, his mother took him to see the All England XI cricket team play a local 22, which included his father, brother and uncle. He made his debut in men's cricket on the day after his ninth birthday.