George Fenwick Cresswell (22 March 1915 – 10 January 1966) was a cricketer who played three

Tests Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

for

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. Born in

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

, he was the older brother of

Arthur Cresswell Arthur Edward Cresswell (7 August 1917 – 3 August 2002) was a New Zealand cricketer who played for Wellington and was one of the first players who played for Central Districts in the early 1950s. He was the younger brother of Fen Cresswell. A ...

. He was the 50th Test cap for New Zealand.

Cricket career

Cresswell was educated at

Marlborough Boys' College Marlborough Boys' College is a state single-sex secondary school in Blenheim, New Zealand. The school was established as Marlborough High School in 1899 (renamed Marlborough College in 1919). The school its current form in was established in 1963 ...

, where he played for the first XI. R.T. Brittenden, ''New Zealand Cricketers'', A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, pp. 54–56. An accurate slow-medium bowler, he had played his cricket for

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

in the

Hawke Cup The Hawke Cup is a non-first-class cricket competition for New Zealand's district associations. Apart from 1910–11, 1912–13 and 2000–01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. To win the Hawke Cup, the challengers must beat t ...

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. After taking three wickets in the match he was selected for the 1949 tour to England. 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

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and 6 for 21 against

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. He made his Test debut in the final Test against England at The Oval. He opened the bowling with

Jack Cowie John Cowie (30 March 1912 – 3 June 1994) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1937 to 1949. His Test opportunities were restricted by New Zealand's limited programme, and his cricket career was interrupted by World War I ...

, 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. 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. 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 Walter Arnold Hadlee (4 June 1915 – 29 September 2006) was a New Zealand cricketer and Test match captain. He played domestic first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago. Three of his five sons, Sir Richard, Dayle and Barry played cricket ...

to avert an innings defeat. Earlier in the season, captaining Marlborough in a Hawke Cup elimination match against

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, he took 16 wickets in the match (8 for 44 and 8 for 46) but Nelson won by two wickets. In 1950–51 he played for

Central Districts The Central Stags, formerly known as Central Districts, are a first-class cricket team based in central New Zealand. They are the men's representative side of the Central Districts Cricket Association. They compete in the Plunket Shield firs ...

in their inaugural

Plunket Shield New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

season, taking 5 for 31 against Canterbury at

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

and 5 for 38 against Auckland at

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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 in 1956. Cresswell had an unusual run-up and action.

Dick Brittenden Richard Trevor Brittenden (22 August 1919 – 10 June 2002) was from the 1950s to the 1980s New Zealand's most prominent cricket writer. Early life, family and career Brittenden was born at Rakaia on 22 August 1919, and was educated at Christc ...

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." His younger brother

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

also played as a pace bowler for Wellington and Central Districts in the same period.

Death

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

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cresswell, Fen 1915 births 1966 suicides Central Districts cricketers Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut New Zealand cricketers New Zealand Test cricketers Cricketers from Whanganui Suicides by firearm in New Zealand Wellington cricketers People educated at Marlborough Boys' College Burials at Omaka Cemetery

Cricket career

Death

See also

References

External links