Australian Norman O'Neill, a powerful attacking batsman who suffered unfairly from being dubbed "the new Bradman", has died at the age of 71, Cricket Australia said on Monday.

O'Neill's best test innings was his 181 in the tied test against West Indies [Images] in the 1960-61 season after he made an auspicious debut in the 1958-9 series against England [Images] when Australia regained the Ashes.

He hit the ball savagely off the back foot, moved swiftly down the pitch to the spinners and was also a brilliant cover field.

However, he was a notoriously nervous starter who lost form and confidence towards the end of his career which ended in 1965 with 2,779 runs at 45.55 from 42 tests including six centuries.