Charles Creswell, unlike some of his contemporaries in early-Victorian cricket, was an amateur worthy of a place in the County side, without financial inducements. His fast round-arm bowling earned more plaudits - a 'steady, excellent bowler, being seldom wide or out of length’ - than it did wickets and he was, apparently, a stylish batsman.
He had been picked for the two encounters between North and South in 1830, at Lord’s and at the Barker's Ground, Leicester, prior to being chosen for Nottinghamshire. Creswell played in seven First-Class games for Notts games between 1840 and 1843 and twice more for the North, versus the MCC, in 1842.
It is thought that he moved from Nottingham to Yorkshire whilst still an active player as his name appears in some records for that county from around 1847.
In all First-Class cricket he scored 104 runs at 6.50, with a top score of 43 made v Hampshire in his final season with Notts, though he did make 45no for the Nottingham County Club against Grantham. For all the praise it received, his bowling was rarely used in the First-Class game and he took just six wickets, for 13 runs.
Charles Creswell, a cashier by occupation, was born on 10 March 1913 and died in Heaton Norris, Cheshire on 22 November 1882.
July 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 40