Nicholas Richard Denis Compton Profile
Grandson of legendary England batsman, Denis Compton, Nick Compton is a prolific middle order batsman and a handy off break bowler who plied his trade for first, Middlesex and then Somerset. He was born and raised in South Africa and moved to the UK when he was a teenager.
Compton made his debut for Middlesex at the end of the 2001 season but his team succumbed to a 40 run defeat against Glamorgan. Following this, he was chosen to be a part of the England U19 squad for the ICC U19 World Cup in 2002. In the 2002 season, he played four matches for Middlesex in the Norwich Union League and scored an impressive 86 not out against Lancashire. Because of his fine form, he was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award, named after his grandfather, for the most promising Middlesex player. Unfortunately for Compton, he picked up a serious injury which prevented him from playing the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Even 2005 saw him play just one first class match. He came back strong in 2006 with a string of good scores which included five centuries. It was in this season that he was finally capped by the county. He left Middlesex for Somerset at the end of 2009 in spite of topping the batting charts for his club in what turned out to be a disappointing season for Middlesex. From the 2010 season onward, he was unveiled as a Somerset player.
His impressive performances on the domestic circuit helped Compton secure a birth in England’s Test side in 2012, after Andrew Strauss vacated the opening slot by calling quits. Compton was immediately drafted into the playing eleven and he made his debut in the 1st Test against India during England’s tour of the subcontinent.
