Cresswell was born at Denby, Derbyshire, the son of Joseph Cresswell a beer house keeper and his wife Sarah Ann.
[1] He joined Warwickshire in 1889 and until 1893 played regularly in matches that were not accorded first-class status.
He made his first-class debut in May 1895 in a match against Surrey when he took three wickets.
Cresswell played 22 innings in 15 first-class matches with an average of 10.53 and a top score of 16.
His nephew James Cresswell played cricket for Derbyshire.