Nick Compton

Nick Compton Biography

The grandson of veteran England cricketer Dennis Compton, son of former first-class cricketer Richard Compton and nephew of Arsenal footballer Leslie Compton, Nick Compton had a legendary family background.

But as believed, with great expectations comes great responsibilities, and Nick fulfilled the expectations as a strong-willed top-order batsman with a correct technique that was highly enough regarded to win England’s international Test cap.

Background

Born and raised in the suburbs of South Africa, Nick moved to England in his teens. As evident, passion for cricket runs through his blood and he soon earned sports scholarship scheme in his school days.

Compton impressed as a dominating batsman in the school playing as captain and was prolific during the 2000 season for Middlesex's Under-19 side. He made his List-A debut for Middlesex in 2001 and made his first-class in Norwich Union League at the end of 2001 season.

Career in Middlesex

He played a total of 133 matches in the first spell of his contract with Middlesex and amassed 4515 runs. His promising performances for Middlesex's Under-19s and Second XI led him to receive the NBC Denis Compton Award, named after his grandfather, awarded to the most promising Middlesex player in 2001.

In 2002, he went on to play for the England U19 squad in the ICC U-19 World Cup, featuring in five out of six matches that England played and he scored 133 runs. After a failed U19 Test debut against India, he had to wait until Norwich Union League in August 2002 to impress with a modest 86 not out against Lancashire. His success ensured him the NBC Denis Compton award for the second consecutive year.

By his tireless efforts, he again shined in the first class circuit in 2006, with a string of strong scores, including six centuries, and was award a county cap by the Middlesex in that season. His breakthrough season saw him score 1,315 runs at an average of 46.96, topping Middlesex's first-class runs charts, with his highest score of 190 coming in the County Championship match against Durham.

The stats helped him to fetch the NBC Denis Compton Award yet again for third time and got selected to tour with the England A team in Bangladesh in 2006–07. His 92 runs knock against Bangladesh was impressive and he topped the England A averages with 140 runs at 46.66. His 152 runs against Cricket Board Academy side at Mirpur was a truly a class apart.

Career in Somerset

On joining his assets with Somerset, his career graph reached new heights. Compton scored six fifties helping Somerset to reach the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 final against Warwickshire.

In 2011, against Durham he scored his personal best of 254*, giving a glimpse of his utter sharp batting skills. Compton's first-class form continued and he scored 1,098 runs at an average of 57.78 and was awarded county cap for Somerset. The end of the season saw Compton helping Somerset against the odds to the semi-final of the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 in India.

Compton was the only English batsman to score 1,000 runs in the County Championship and won the PCA Player of the Year award for the first time.

International Debut

Following the retirement of Andrew Strauss and the exclusion of Kevin Pietersen, Compton's weight of runs was enough to earn him a first call-up to the England Test squad for the tour to India 2012-13. He was fortunate enough to open with the then English captain, Alastair Cook.

But he failed to give the spark of his caliber in the first two tests. Compton made his maiden Test half-century in the 3rd Test at Eden Gardens, going on to his highest test score of 57. Compton’s assistance in four successive 50 runs partnerships with Cook ensured decent platforms for England and they defeated India by 2-1 in a 4 match series.

Rise to Glory

In the series against New Zealand in 2013, the much anticipated knock came. Nick hit two back to back centuries and finished as England's third highest run-scorer with 232 runs at an average of 46.40. Compton was honour as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2013.

In November 2015, after more than two years out of the side Compton was recalled to the Test squad for the tour to South Africa. He anchored on the pitch and played a marathon of 85 runs in 236 balls when England was in a tricky situation in the first innings. He fell just short of half centuries in the next two innings. The series ended in the favour of his side by 2-1.

Low Points

Though Nick’s performance was impressive in the club cricket but due to the lack of consistency and availability of other equally talented players, he failed to cement his place in the national team. After the eye catching innings in New Zealand he went in wilderness and the selectors favoured Joe Root over him in the Ashes squad 2013 as better opening partner of Alastair Cook.

After his comeback in series against South Africa, he scored just 51 runs in five innings during the following Test series against Sri Lanka in 2016. This was a huge blow to his stability as a player. As per the reports of ‘The Guardian’, Nick Compton decided to take an indefinite break from cricket after this series.