Bert Vogler
A South African bowling all-rounder whose mysterious googly made him the terror of England's batsmen during the famous 1907 Test series.
1876–1946 (age 70)·South African cricketer·Birthday: November 28·The Gilded Age
Biography
Bert Vogler was a cricketing pioneer from the diamond-mining town of Kimberley, a key member of South Africa's first great Test team. A leg-break and googly bowler with a notoriously difficult action to read, he formed a devastating spin trio with Aubrey Faulkner and Reggie Schwarz. His arrival on the world stage was explosive; in the 1906-07 home series against England, he took 36 wickets, a record for a debut series that stood for decades. The following English summer, he was even more dominant, bewildering batsmen to such an extent that he was hailed as the world's best bowler. His first-class career was split between South Africa and a qualifying period with Middlesex, but his impact was fleeting—his Test career lasted just 15 matches, yet in that short span, he etched his name as one of the most feared bowlers of his era.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Bert was born in 1876, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1876
Bert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1876Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Started school
President: Chester A. Arthur
1889Became a teenager
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1892Could drive
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Could vote
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Turned 21
President: William McKinley
1906Turned 30
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 40
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 50
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 60
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 70
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
Key Achievements
- Took 36 wickets in his debut Test series against England in 1906-07, a then-record for a debut series.
- Was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1908 for his performances in the 1907 English season.
- Played a crucial role in South Africa's first-ever Test series win over England in 1905-06.
Did You Know?
He learned the googly from his teammate Reggie Schwarz, who had learned it from English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet.
He worked on the ground staff at Lord's Cricket Ground to qualify for Middlesex.
His first-class bowling average of 19.43 for South Africa is among the best in history.
After cricket, he returned to South Africa and worked in the diamond industry.
“My googly turns the batsman's certainty into a question.”
