Bert Vogler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bert Vogler

Vogler in about 1912
Personal information
Full name	Albert Edward Ernest Vogler
Born	(1876-11-28)28 November 1876 Swartwater, Queenstown, Cape Colony
Died	9 August 1946(1946-08-09) (aged 69) Fort Napier, Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, Union of South Africa
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Leg-break
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut	2 January 1906 v England
Last Test	17 February 1911 v Australia
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 15 83 Runs scored 340 2,375 Batting average 17.00 20.29 100s/50s 0/2 1/8 Top score 65 103 Balls bowled 2,764 13,097 Wickets 64 393 Bowling average 22.73 18.27 5 wickets in innings 5 31 10 wickets in match 1 7 Best bowling 7/94 10/26 Catches/stumpings 20/– 81/–
Source: Cricinfo, 29 May 2019

Bert Vogler (born November 28, 1876 – died August 9, 1946) was a famous South African cricketer. He was known as a great all-rounder. This means he was very good at both batting and bowling.

Bert Vogler played cricket in South Africa. Later, he moved to England. He worked at Lord's Cricket Ground, which is a very famous place for cricket. This helped him become eligible to play for Middlesex County Cricket Club.

He became well-known during a Test series in 1906. The next year, in England, he was called the "best bowler in the world" by Tip Foster. He was also named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year. This is a big award in cricket.

Vogler was especially good on cricket pitches that helped his bowling style. But when he toured Australia, the pitches were harder. This made it tough for him to bowl as well. After his tour in 1911, he stopped playing first-class cricket. He had a disagreement with Abe Bailey, who was a major supporter of South African cricket.

Bert Vogler's Cricket Career

Early Days in Cricket

Bert Vogler was born in Swartwater, near Queenstown, Eastern Cape. He started his cricket journey playing for the Natal team. Back then, he was a strong batsman who hit the ball hard. He was also a fast-medium bowler.

Later, he learned a special bowling trick called the googly. He learned it from Reggie Schwarz. This trick makes the ball spin in a way that batsmen don't expect.

In 1904/1905, Vogler played for the Transvaal team. In 1905, he went to England. He wanted to play for Middlesex. He didn't quite make it to Middlesex. However, he bowled very well for the MCC in 1906. He took 63 wickets that summer.

Between these seasons, Vogler played in a Test series in 1905/1906. He was very good against the English team. He also showed how much his batting had improved. He scored 62 runs without being out, even though he was the last batsman to come in.

Becoming a Top All-Rounder

Vogler returned to South Africa and played for the Eastern Province. He scored 505 runs, averaging about 36 runs per game. He also set a new record for wickets in a season. He took 55 wickets in nine games, averaging only 10.54 runs per wicket.

By this time, Vogler had become even better at bowling. He could make the ball spin in surprising ways. He also made it do unexpected things in the air. This made it very hard for batsmen to hit.

In one amazing game against Griqualand West in 1906–07, Vogler showed off his all-round skills. His team, Eastern Province, batted first. Vogler scored 79 runs. This helped his team get a big score of 403 runs.

Then, it was his turn to bowl. He took 6 wickets for only 12 runs. Griqualand West was bowled out for just 51 runs. They had to bat again. In their second turn, Vogler took all 10 wickets for only 26 runs! Griqualand West was again out for 51 runs. Eastern Province won the game by a huge margin.

Vogler's 10 wickets for 26 runs is still the best bowling performance in a single innings in South Africa. His total of 16 wickets for 38 runs in that match is also a record for Eastern Province.

Wisden Cricketer of the Year Award

In 1907, Vogler went to England with a strong bowling team. The weather was wet, which made the pitches soft. This was perfect for his spin bowling. He did very well.

Even though other bowlers took more wickets, Tip Foster thought Vogler was the hardest bowler to face. Because of his great performance, Vogler was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1908. This award recognizes the best cricketers of the year. He was also later recognized as one of the earliest South Africans to be a Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.

Vogler didn't play much cricket after this until the 1908/1909 season in South Africa. On the special matting pitches there, he played his best against England. He took 36 wickets in five Test matches. He also hit the fastest fifty runs in Test cricket history at that time. He scored 22 runs in just one over off George Thompson.

Challenges in Australia and Retirement

However, Vogler's luck changed the next season. He toured Australia for the first time. The pitches in Australia were very hard. This made it difficult for his spin bowling to work its magic. Also, Australia's captain, Warwick Armstrong, told his players to hit the googly bowlers hard.

Vogler struggled so much that he was left out of two Test matches. In the three Tests he played, he only took four wickets. He also didn't do well with the bat, averaging only nine runs per innings.

After this tour, Vogler never played first-class cricket again. He moved to the British Isles for business. He continued to play for some clubs in Scotland and Ireland after World War I. He played one last first-class match in 1912 for the Woodbrook Club and Ground against his old teammates.

Bert Vogler passed away in August 1946.