Ernest Bernau

Ernest Henry Lovell Bernau (6 April 1896 – 7 January 1966), sometimes known as Bill Bernau, was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1914–15 to 1927–28, and accompanied the New Zealand national cricket team on their tour of England in 1927.

Bernau took 12 wickets in a Hawke Cup match (not first-class) for Wanganui against South Taranaki in December 1914, and made his first-class debut in January 1915 for Hawke's Bay against Canterbury, scoring 31 and 8 and taking 4/88 in an innings defeat. He did not play at that level again until he appeared for Minor Associations against the Australians at the Basin Reserve in March 1921. This was another innings defeat, and Bernau was personally unsuccessful, taking the single wicket of Alan Kippax.

Bernau finally tasted victory at first-class level when he played for Wellington against Auckland in the Plunket Shield in December 1922. Wellington ran out easy victors, thanks in no small part to Bernau, who scored 117 (his only century, including 20 fours) in the first innings, and took five wickets in the match.

In 1927, after several years playing minor cricket for Wanganui, Bernau was selected to tour England with the national side, and played in 16 first-class matches. When the controversy over the eligibility for selection of Ted Badcock led to his withdrawal, Bernau took his place despite playing no first-class cricket that summer. During the tour, he recorded his career-best bowling performance, claiming 6/35 against Glamorgan at Cardiff Arms Park. Bernau's final first-class matches were back home in 1927–28, when he played twice for New Zealand against The Rest, and finally for Wellington against Canterbury in the Plunket Shield.

He served with the New Zealand forces in the Middle East in World War I as a second lieutenant. Later he worked as a barrister.