All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

81 Ernie Vogler a full-time professional he joined the MCC groundstaff in 1905. He might have been offered a Middlesex contract but the county already had two ‘colonials’ in Albert Trott and Frank Tarrant and there was a feeling a third would be a bit much. Instead he was found employment back home by South African tycoon Sir Abe Bailey. Vogler made his Test debut after just six first-class matches, playing in all five matches against Pelham Warner’s 1905/06 tourists. His return was modest, just nine wickets, but he was also a useful bat and in the final match of the series scored 62 not out, at the time a Test record for a number eleven batsman. The Currie Cup had been first contested in 1889/90. Since its resumption after the Boer War it had been dominated by Transvaal and 1906/07 was no different. In order that the selection committee for the forthcoming 1907 tour could assess all possible candidates it had been decided to revert to concentrating the competition at one centre, and in addition that it would be played on a full league basis with each team playing the others once. The tournament was held over a two-week period starting on 26 December 1906. It was played at four venues at the Old Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg and at Berea Park, Pretoria. Six teams competed. Vogler was now playing for Eastern Province. Despite his presence however, they were a very weak side. They won two matches, but only against the even weaker teams Griqualand West and Orange Free State, and their three defeats were all by an innings. None of the Griqualand West side that stepped onto the field on Boxing Day 1906 ever made a first-class century. Six were making their first-class debuts. (In view of their performance it is perhaps surprising that some weren’t also playing their last match.) Both umpires were British-born: Alf Atfield from Kent and Bill Creese from Monmouthshire. Atfield would be standing at Taunton 14 years later when Surrey’s Tom Rushby took an all-ten. He spent his winters coaching and umpiring in South Africa, where he would stand in eight Tests involving England, although never officiating in a home Test. Creese umpired 16 first-class matches, all in South Africa (where he died) including one Test. In 1913/14 the MCC tourists played Border twice in a week. Baggage man Creese umpired the first match and played in the second. Eastern Province batted first and made 403. In his second first-class match opener David Lumsden made 103, having made a pair in his first. In seventeen subsequent innings he never got past 24. Vogler second top scored with 79. Because of rain Eastern Province’s innings took up most of the first two days, leaving the Griquas only time to make eight without loss before rain brought an early close. The following morning the Lower Back Ground was so wet it was ruled unplayable. However, the adjoining Top Back Ground was reasonably dry and so the venue was simply switched! The conditions suited Vogler. Play started late and Griqualand West quickly took their score to 20, aided by Vogler’s first three balls which beat both batsman and wicketkeeper and produced twelve byes. However he soon got his range and at lunch, taken with the score 29 for five, his figures were four for 4. All out soon after for 51 (Vogler six for 12), the