Bert Bisgood

Who was Bert Bisgood?

Bertram Lewis Bisgood, was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset from 1907 to 1921 as a batsman and wicketkeeper. Known as "Bert" or "Bertie", he was born at Glastonbury and died at Canford Cliffs, Dorset. His older brother Eustace played in one match for Somerset in 1909.

Bisgood was a right-handed middle-order batsman and occasional wicketkeeper. He made a sensational debut for Somerset in 1907, being picked for the match against Worcestershire at Worcester when the Somerset captain, Lionel Palairet, was struggling to find enough players to make up a side. In Somerset's first innings, he came in at No 3 when Palairet was out for a single and proceeded to score 82 in a second wicket stand of 153 with Len Braund; in the second, he made an unbeaten 116 enabling Somerset to declare, though the match was eventually drawn. Bisgood was the first Somerset cricketer to score a century on debut; the second would be Harold Gimblett in 1935.

Bisgood went on to make 66 further appearances for Somerset up to 1921, but only once did he come close to matching his success in that first game.