Fen Cresswell
George Fenwick Cresswell (22 March 1915 – 10 January 1966) was a cricketer who played three Tests for New Zealand. Born in Wanganui, he was the older brother of Arthur Cresswell. He was the 50th Test cap for New Zealand.
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| Full name | George Fenwick Cresswell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 March 1915 Wanganui, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 10 January 1966 (aged 50) Blenheim, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm slow-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Arthur Cresswell (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 50) | 13 August 1949 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 24 March 1951 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1949-50 | Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950-51 to 1954-55 | Central Districts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 1 April 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cricket career
Cresswell was educated at Marlborough Boys' College, where he played for the first XI.[1] An accurate slow-medium bowler, he had played his cricket for Marlborough in the Hawke Cup when he was selected to make his first-class debut at the age of 33 in a trial match for The Rest against a New Zealand XI in January 1949.[1] After taking three wickets in the match he was selected for the 1949 tour to England.[2]
In England he took 62 wickets at 26.09 in 19 matches, and found his best form late in the tour, taking 5 for 30 against Yorkshire and 6 for 21 against Glamorgan. He made his Test debut in the final Test against England at The Oval. He opened the bowling with Jack Cowie, and took 6 for 168 in England's only innings. Batting at his usual position of number 11, he made 12 not out, which remained his highest first-class score.[3] As of early 2021 he is still the oldest person (at 34 years and 146 days) to take five or more wickets in an innings in his first Test.[4]
He played for Wellington in 1949-50. He also played for New Zealand against the touring Australian team, taking 8 for 100 in Australia's only innings; then, batting at number 11, he put on an unbroken partnership of nine runs with Walter Hadlee to avert an innings defeat.[5] Earlier in the season, captaining Marlborough in a Hawke Cup elimination match against Nelson, he took 16 wickets in the match (8 for 44 and 8 for 46) but Nelson won by two wickets.[6]
In 1950-51 he played for Central Districts in their inaugural Plunket Shield season, taking 5 for 31 against Canterbury at Palmerston North and 5 for 38 against Auckland at New Plymouth to give them victory in their first two home games and second place in the final table.[7] He played in the two Tests against the visiting English side, taking 7 wickets at 17.71. After that he suffered from a back injury,[1] and played only three matches in the next four seasons before retiring.
He had an unusual run-up and action. Dick Brittenden wrote: "he bowled from a run of a few paces. He began each time by standing stiffly to attention, poised for an appreciable little interval. Then he moved in and bowled with one of the strangest of actions – no left arm, and his chest quite square to the batsman."[1]
His younger brother Arthur also played as a pace bowler for Wellington and Central Districts in the same period.
Death
He was found dead in Blenheim in 1966, with a gun next to him.[8] He had been suffering from cancer.[9]
References
- R.T. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, pp. 54–56.
- "New Zealand XI v The Rest 1948-49". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "4th Test: England v New Zealand at The Oval, Aug 13-16, 1949". espncricinfo. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- "Nauman Ali becomes the oldest debutant in 71 years to claim a five-wicket haul in Tests". Sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- Wisden 1951, pp. 833-34.
- "Marlborough v Nelson 1949-50". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- Wisden 1952, pp. 893-94.
- "Fen Cresswell". espncricinfo. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- "Mental health help there for NZ cricketers". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 December 2011.