Fen Cresswell

Fen Cresswell

Cricket information
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm slow-medium
International information
National side	New Zealand
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 3 33 Runs scored 14 89 Batting average 7.00 5.23 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 Top score 12* 12* Balls bowled 650 8107 Wickets 13 124 Bowling average 22.46 22.53 5 wickets in innings 1 8 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 6/168 8/100 Catches/stumpings 0/- 11/-
Source: Cricinfo

George Fenwick Cresswell (22 March 1915 – 10 January 1966) played three Tests for New Zealand. On his debut, he took six wickets in the first innings against England at The Oval in 1949. Born in Wanganui, he was the older brother of Arthur Cresswell.

He was educated at Marlborough Boys' College, where he played for the first XI. An accurate slow-medium bowler, he made his first-class debut at the age of 33 in 1948-49, and after only one match was selected for the 1949 tour to 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 played in the final Test, opening the bowling with Jack Cowie, and taking 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.

He played for Wellington in 1949-50, and for a New Zealand XI against the touring Australian team he took 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. 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. 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, 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."

He was found dead in Blenheim in 1966, with a gun next to him. He had been suffering from cancer.

See also

• List of New Zealand Test cricketers who have taken five wickets on debut

External links

• Fen Cresswell at Cricket Archive
• Fen Cresswell at Cricinfo

• R.T. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, p. 54.
• Wisden 1951, pp. 833-34.
• Wisden 1952, pp. 893-94.
• Brittenden, p. 55.
• Brittenden, p. 55.