Len Creese
Encyclopedia
William Charles Leonard Creese (27 December 1907 – 9 March 1974) was a South Africa
n born English
cricketer
. Creese was a left-handed batsman who bowled left-arm medium pace
.
Creese made his first-class
debut for Hampshire
in the 1928 County Championship
against Somerset
. Creese represented Hampshire in 278 first-class matches from 1928 to 1939, with his first-class career with Hampshire ending due to the start of the Second World War. Creese's final appearance for the county came in the 1939 County Championship against Yorkshire
at Dean Park Cricket Ground
in Bournemouth
.
Creese was regarded as one of the best all-rounders on the county circuit. In his 278 matches for the county, Creese scored 9,894 runs at a batting average
of 24.01, with 50 half centuries, 6 centuries with a high score of 241 against Northamptonshire
in 1939. Such was Creese's skill with the bat that he passed the 1,000 run mark for a season five times, with his best season being in 1933 when he scored 1,275 runs at an average of 35.41, with 5 half centuries, 2 centuries and a high score of 165*
.
Creese was also a consistent bowler, taking 401 wickets for the county at a bowling average
of 27.78, with 15 five wicket hauls and 1 ten wicket haul in a match, with best bowling figures of 8/37 against Lancashire
in 1936. The 1936 season was Creese's best with the ball, during which he took 95 wickets at an average of 22.93, with 5 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/37. It was during the 1936 season that Creese narrowly missed out on the all-rounders double
, scoring 1,331 runs and coupled with 95 wickets, bringing him just short of the 1,000 runs and 100 wickets mark. In addition to his batting and bowling, Creese was also an able fielder, taking 190 catches for Hampshire.
A note of Hampshire trivia came when Creese accidentally shot his teammate Gerry Hill
while Hill was bowling in the nets. The bullet stayed in Hill's leg for the remainder of his life. Commenting on the incident Hill said:
"Creese was as mad as a hatter. He had this gun and whether it went off accidentally, I don't know... I was running into bowl and it knocked me off my feet."
In addition to playing first-class matches for Hampshire, Creese also represented the Players in the 1935 Gentlemen v Players
fixture and represented the Combined Services
in two matches after the war, coming against Oxford University
and Surrey
in 1946.
In 1949 Creese joined Dorset
, playing for the county in the Minor Counties Championship from 1949 to 1950, with all four of his fixtures for Dorset coming against Berkshire
.
Prior to joining Dorset Creese stood as an Umpire
in three Minor Counties fixtures; two in 1947 and one in 1948. After this Creese served as a Groundsman at the Central Recreation Ground
at Hastings
for some years, during which his small grandson, whom he idolised, was killed by the heavy roller in the interval between innings in a Festival match. He later became head groundsman at the Sussex
County Ground at Hove
.
Creese died at Buckland
, Kent
on March 9, 1974.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n born English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. Creese was a left-handed batsman who bowled left-arm medium pace
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
.
Creese made his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in the 1928 County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
. Creese represented Hampshire in 278 first-class matches from 1928 to 1939, with his first-class career with Hampshire ending due to the start of the Second World War. Creese's final appearance for the county came in the 1939 County Championship against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
at Dean Park Cricket Ground
Dean Park Cricket Ground
Dean Park is a cricket ground in Bournemouth, England, currently used by Bournemouth University Cricket Club, as well as by and Suttoners Cricket Club....
in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.
Creese was regarded as one of the best all-rounders on the county circuit. In his 278 matches for the county, Creese scored 9,894 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 24.01, with 50 half centuries, 6 centuries with a high score of 241 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in 1939. Such was Creese's skill with the bat that he passed the 1,000 run mark for a season five times, with his best season being in 1933 when he scored 1,275 runs at an average of 35.41, with 5 half centuries, 2 centuries and a high score of 165*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
.
Creese was also a consistent bowler, taking 401 wickets for the county at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 27.78, with 15 five wicket hauls and 1 ten wicket haul in a match, with best bowling figures of 8/37 against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
in 1936. The 1936 season was Creese's best with the ball, during which he took 95 wickets at an average of 22.93, with 5 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/37. It was during the 1936 season that Creese narrowly missed out on the all-rounders double
Double (cricket)
A cricketer is said to achieve the double if he scores a thousand or more runs and also takes a hundred or more wickets in first-class matches during the course of a single season. The feat is extremely rare outside England because of the smaller number of first-class matches played in most other...
, scoring 1,331 runs and coupled with 95 wickets, bringing him just short of the 1,000 runs and 100 wickets mark. In addition to his batting and bowling, Creese was also an able fielder, taking 190 catches for Hampshire.
A note of Hampshire trivia came when Creese accidentally shot his teammate Gerry Hill
Gerry Hill
Gerald Hill was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire from 1932–1954. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off break bowler, Hill played 371 first class games for Hampshire. Hill was spotted by the cricketer and writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
while Hill was bowling in the nets. The bullet stayed in Hill's leg for the remainder of his life. Commenting on the incident Hill said:
"Creese was as mad as a hatter. He had this gun and whether it went off accidentally, I don't know... I was running into bowl and it knocked me off my feet."
In addition to playing first-class matches for Hampshire, Creese also represented the Players in the 1935 Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
fixture and represented the Combined Services
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
in two matches after the war, coming against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in 1946.
In 1949 Creese joined Dorset
Dorset County Cricket Club
Dorset County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Dorset and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
, playing for the county in the Minor Counties Championship from 1949 to 1950, with all four of his fixtures for Dorset coming against Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
.
Prior to joining Dorset Creese stood as an Umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
in three Minor Counties fixtures; two in 1947 and one in 1948. After this Creese served as a Groundsman at the Central Recreation Ground
Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
The Central Recreation Ground, Hastings was a cricket ground in Hastings, Sussex. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1864 and the last in 1996, following which Priory Meadow Shopping Centre was built on the site...
at Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
for some years, during which his small grandson, whom he idolised, was killed by the heavy roller in the interval between innings in a Festival match. He later became head groundsman at the Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
County Ground at Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
.
Creese died at Buckland
Buckland, Kent
Buckland is a village near Dover, England. It is noted for its Saxon cemetery whose finds now belong to the British Museum but are on display at Dover Museum.English railway contractor, Edward Betts, was born in Buckland....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
on March 9, 1974.
External links
- Len Creese at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Len Creese at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Matches and detailed statistics for Len Creese