Andy Compton on the Rhodes Again

English cricketer

Denis Compton

Compton in well-nigh 1936
Personal information
Full proper noun	Denis Charles Scott Compton
Born	(1918-05-23)23 May 1918 Hendon, Middlesex, England
Died	23 April 1997(1997-04-23) (aged 78) Windsor, Berkshire, England
Height	five ft ten in (one.78 k)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Left arm unorthodox spin
Relations	Leslie Compton (blood brother) Richard Compton (son) Patrick Compton (son) Ben Compton (grandson) Nick Compton (grandson)
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 297)	14 Baronial 1937 v New Zealand
Last Test	5 March 1957 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1936–1964	Marylebone Cricket Club
1936–1958	Middlesex
1944/45–1945/46	Europeans
1944/45	Holkar
Career statistics
Competition Examination Starting time-grade Matches 78 515 Runs scored v,807 38,942 Batting average 50.06 51.85 100s/50s 17/28 123/183 Peak score 278 300 Assurance bowled 2,710 36,640 Wickets 25 622 Bowling boilerplate 56.40 32.27 v wickets in innings 1 xix 10 wickets in match 0 3 All-time bowling 5/70 seven/36 Catches/stumpings 49/– 416/–
Source: Cricinfo, 23 April 1997

Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE (23 May 1918 – 23 Apr 1997) was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches and spent his whole cricket career with Middlesex. He was besides an accomplished footballer, who played about of his football career at Arsenal.^[1]

A right-handed batsman and left-arm unorthodox spin bowler, Compton is regularly credited as one of England's nearly remarkable batsmen.^[2] Indeed, Sir Don Bradman said he was one of the greatest cricket players he'd ever seen.^[3] He is one of only xx-five players to have scored over one hundred centuries in fantabulous cricket.^[4] In 2009, Compton was posthumously inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.^[5] The Denis Compton Oval and a stand at Lord'southward Cricket Ground are both named in his honour.^{[half dozen] [seven]}

Cricket career [edit]

Early on years [edit]

Compton in 1939 as a gunner in the ground forces

Compton was born and brought up in what was then the urban district of Hendon, which later became part of Greater London; his father had moved there in hopes of finding more than work. He was the 2d son and youngest child of Henry Ernest Compton, a self-employed painter and decorator, later a lorry driver when his business failed,^{[eight] [ix] [10]} and Jessie Anne (née Duthie);^[11] he had one older brother, Leslie Harry (born 1912) and one older sis, Hilda (born 1913).^[12] He was educated at Bell Lane Primary School and joined the MCC ground staff at Lord's Cricket Basis at the age of 15. The previous summer he had begun to brand a name for himself when, at that same venue, he scored 114 equally helm of an Elementary Schools XI, impressing Test selector Sir Pelham Warner.^[13]

By the late 1930s, Compton was one of England'due south finest batsmen, and remained at the top of his profession for some twenty years. His dashing approach to batting and the sheer enjoyment he exuded endeared him to a generation of cricket lovers. As an all-rounder Compton was a correct-mitt bat and a deadening left-arm wrist-spin bowler.^{[14] [xv]}

Compton earned his first England cap against New Zealand in 1937. At xix years and 83 days, he remains the tertiary youngest England debutant ever.^[16] He scored his starting time Test century aged just 20 years and nineteen days in 1938 against Don Bradman's touring Australians.^[17] This broke the record, set by J. W. Hearne in 1911, for the youngest Test century past an England batsman, and remains the record to this mean solar day. Later in the same series he scored a match-saving 76 not out at Lord's; this innings was scored on a rain-affected pitch and greatly impressed Don Bradman. In 1939 he scored 2468 runs for the season, including 120 against the W Indies at Lord's.^{[15] [14]}

As with many other sportsmen of his generation, he lost some of his best years to the Second World State of war, during which he served in the ground forces in India. He was posted at Mhow, Primal India. He was granted permission to play for the Holkar team in the Ranji Trophy, India's national cricket tournament. Information technology was in India that he began his close friendship with his Australian counterpart, Test cricketer, footballer and national hero, Keith Miller. They played confronting each other in the match at Calcutta between the Australian Services team and East Zone.

The match was interrupted by rioting when Compton was on 94, and i of the rioters who had invaded the pitch ran up to Compton and said: "Mr Compton, you very good histrion, but the lucifer must terminate now." This was a phrase which Miller gleefully recalled whenever Compton went out to bat against the Australians.^[18] In recognition of their amiable friendship and rivalry, the ECB and Cricket Commonwealth of australia decided in 2005 that the actor adjudged the Player of the Series in the Ashes would be awarded the Compton–Miller medal.

1947 [edit]

England toured Australia in the 1946–47 Ashes series and though they were beaten by the powerful Australian squad, Compton distinguished himself by scoring a century in each innings of the Adelaide Examination.

Back in England, Compton produced a season of cricket that established him as a British household proper noun, and 1 of the greatest cricketers of his era. Helped by a rare summer of sunshine,^[nineteen] Compton thrilled the war-weary English language public with his cavalier batting. Against the touring South Africans, Compton scored five centuries, ane for Middlesex and 4 for England, accumulating 1,056 runs at an average of 88. His amass in all matches that season was three,816 runs, which remains the nearly ever fabricated in a flavour in offset-class matches. In that season, he scored xviii centuries, with the last 1 scored on fifteen September 1947. Eighteen hundreds in a unmarried season is another world tape to his name.^[20]

According to journalist Frank Keating, Compton'southward personal favourite innings of that summer was for Middlesex against Kent at Lord's.^[21] Chasing 397 to win, and needing to score at nearly 100 runs per 60 minutes,^[19] Compton led the way with a dashing 168, but Middlesex brutal curt by 75 runs.^[22]

Cricket writers Neville Cardus and John Arlott acclaimed Compton'south achievements. Cardus wrote:

Never accept I been then deeply touched on a cricket ground as in this heavenly summertime, when I went to Lord'due south to meet a pale-faced crowd, existing on rations, the rocket-flop nevertheless in the ears of most, and see the strain of anxiety and illness passed from all hearts and shoulders at the sight of Compton in total sail ... each stroke a flick of please, a propulsion of happy, sane, healthy life. There were no rations in an innings past Compton.^[21]

Arlott, who had written his offset cricket book that summer, concluded with a tribute to Compton:

To close the optics is to see again that easy, happy effigy at the wicket, pushing an unruly forelock out of the center and so as information technology falls downwards again, playing off the wrong pes a stroke which passes deep-point like a bullet ... never again volition the adolescent delight in hit a ball with a piece of wood flower directly into charm and gaiety and all the wealth of achievement.^[21]

Afterward career [edit]

Against Bradman's Invincibles in 1948, Compton was England's standout performer in a losing crusade. In the Starting time Test at Trent Span he scored 184 in the 2nd innings afterwards Australia had established a first innings pb of 344, and information technology looked as though he might relieve the match for England until he lost his residuum to a short-pitched brawl from Miller and hit his wicket. In the Third Test at Old Trafford, Compton scored an unbeaten 145 in the first innings, when no other batsman fabricated more than 37. He had scored only four runs when, while facing a bumper barrage from Ray Lindwall, he edged the ball onto his forehead. Compton was forced off the ground with a cut head, given two stitches, and ordered to remainder despite wanting to return to the crease.^[23] He eventually came back out when England was teetering at 119 for v and enabled the team to reach 363. This was the only match that England did not lose, and if so much time had not been lost to the weather they might accept won it. In the serial he made 562 runs at 62.44, against vehement fast bowling from Lindwall, Miller and Bill Johnston.

Compton at the Ashes Test Serial on 29 October 1954

On the MCC tour of South Africa 1948–49 he scored 300 against Due north-Eastern Transvaal in only a minute over three hours – still the fastest triple-century ever in kickoff-course cricket. His offset hundred took 66 minutes (he said, "I was getting a sight of the bowling"), his second 78 minutes (he was not out overnight and had to play himself in over again next morning), and his third hundred took just 37 minutes. Reminiscing about the friction match later, Compton compared the South Africans' bowling with a decent canton side, only criticised their catching (he had been dropped before he reached 20).^[24]

He toured Commonwealth of australia for 1950–51 Ashes series every bit vice-captain, the first professional in the 20th century to exist awarded the position, but had a dismal tour considering of a recurring knee problem caused by an old football game injury. He averaged only 7.57 in the Tests, but 92.xi in his other get-go-course matches. He became the kickoff professional to captain the Marylebone Cricket Order (MCC) for an entire game, Jack Hobbs having taken over from the injured Arthur Carr in 1924–1925. He and Len Hutton made the winning runs in the Fifth Test at Melbourne, the first time Australia had been beaten since 1938.

Compton also jointly captained Middlesex betwixt 1951 and 1952, with Bill Edrich. Also in 1952, Compton scored his 100th first-class century against Northampton while featuring for Middlesex at Lord's.^[25] On the 1954–55 tour his difference was delayed for a remedial operation on his knee and he joined the team in Australia by aeroplane. In the First Exam at Brisbane he badly cut his hand when he hit a billboard while fielding and batted at the lesser of the club. He missed the 2d Test. He came 3rd in the England Test averages (38.20), but topped the tour averages (57.07) and made three centuries. In his terminal Test confronting Australia in 1956 he made a dazzling 94 despite having just had his correct kneecap removed.

In home test series against Pakistan he set the record for scoring the most runs in between lunch and tea in a Examination match (173).^[26]

Compton finished his cricket career later on playing 78 Test matches with 17 centuries at an average of l.06. In all first-class cricket he scored 123 centuries.

Football career [edit]

Denis Compton

Personal information
Position(due south)	Winger
Number	11[27]
Youth career
1933–1935	Nunhead
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1936–1950	Arsenal	54	(15)
* Senior social club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Compton also played football game, kickoff his career at not-league Nunhead during the 1933–34 season earlier joining Arsenal.^[28] Whilst playing as a winger, he fabricated his debut in 1936, taking up the number 11 jersey at the lodge. Arsenal won the league title (erstwhile Commencement Division) in 1937–38, only Denis Compton did not become a medal since he had made only 7 appearances that flavour.^{[ane] [29]} Compton was somewhen successful with Arsenal at Highbury, winning the League title in 1948 and the FA Loving cup in 1950. ^{[30] [27]}

All the same, the latter part of his sporting career was dogged by knee problem when his right human knee was damaged in a collision with the goalkeeper of club Charlton Athletic.^[30] He was thus express to 60 official i.due east. non-wartime appearances, scoring 16 goals birthday. He represented England in wartime games on twelve occasions, but never in a full official match.^[xv]

Personality and legacy [edit]

Compton's absent-mindedness was legendary. Colin Cowdrey writes that Compton turned up for the Sometime Trafford Test of 1955 against South Africa without his kitbag. Undaunted, he sauntered into the museum and, borrowing an antique bat off the display, went on to score 158 and 71. Nevertheless, England lost by 3 wickets. This absent-minded-mindedness was especially obvious in his trend to run out his partners at the crease: Trevor Bailey declared that 'a call for a run from Compton should be treated as no more than a basis for negotiation.' In typical form, at his brother Leslie's benefit match in 1955, he managed to run him out before he had faced a single brawl.

Compton's career functioning graph

Peter Parfitt, the Middlesex and England batsman, was a speaker at a major celebration in London for Compton's 70th birthday. He claims that the chief invitee was called to the telephone by a lady who had heard almost the dinner: somewhen, he agreed to have the call. "Denis," she said, "it'due south me, your mother. You're non 70, you're simply 69."^[eighteen]

Afterward retiring from sport, Denis Compton became a journalist and later on a commentator for BBC Television. He was made a CBE in 1958. He became the first former professional cricketer to be elected President of Middlesex Canton Cricket Lodge in 1991. He served two terms, until a calendar week earlier his death from septicaemia in Windsor, Berkshire aged 78.^{[14] [15]}

Compton'due south decease, on Saint George's Day, coincided with the opening of the 1997 County Championship season, and pavilion flags across the country were lowered to half-mast in his memory.^[21] The MCC named the twin stands at the Nursery End at Lord's Cricket Ground, in his and Bill Edrich's honour. Cricket writer Colin Bateman noted however that it was "a dull, practical construction which does little justice to their mercurial talents and indomitable spirits".^[31]

He was also honoured at the Shenley Cricket Centre, where the main pitch is named the Denis Compton Oval. This is where his grandson, Nick Compton, fix the Middlesex record for the sixth wicket partnership in List A cricket (142* BL Hutton & NRD Compton v Lancashire at Shenley 2002).

[edit]

With his contemporary the footballer Stanley Matthews, Compton was the first British sportsman to make a substantial living by exploiting his sporting reputation to provide advertisements and endorsements. For many years he was the public face up of the Brylcreem range of men's haircare products.

An example of this is illustrated upon page Eight of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack edition of 1955. Denis Compton developed a close working human relationship with Royds Advertising, and its chairman, who at that time was Nicholas Royds.^[18]

Personal life [edit]

Compton's elder brother Leslie also played cricket for Middlesex and football as a defender for Arsenal and England.^[32]

Compton was married three times; his starting time wife was Doris Rich, a dancer. They married at St John's Woods on 1 March 1941 and had a son, Brian (born 2 Jan 1942).^[33]

With his 2d wife, Valerie Platt, Compton had two sons, Patrick and Richard, both of whom were built-in in England but brought up past female parent Valerie in South Africa since 1960. Both of them went on to play cricket for Natal. ^[33]

Compton married his 3rd married woman, Christine Franklin Tobias, in 1975, with whom he had two daughters, Charlotte and Victoria.^[33] His grandson Nick, son of Richard, fabricated his Test debut confronting India at Ahmedabad during the England cricket team's 2012–13 tour of India.^[34]

Examination centuries [edit]

The following table summarises the Test centuries scored by Denis Compton.^[35]

• In the cavalcade Runs, * indicates beingness not out.
• The column title Lucifer refers to the Match Number of his career.

Denis Compton'south Test Centuries[36]
#	Runs	Lucifer	Against	Metropolis/Country	Venue	Twelvemonth	Result
[1]	102	ii	Australia	Nottingham, England	Trent Bridge	1938	Fatigued
[ii]	120	6	West Indies	London, England	Lord'southward	1939	Won
[3]	147	15	Commonwealth of australia	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	1947	Drawn
[4]	103*
[5]	163	18	South Africa	Nottingham, England	Trent Bridge	1947	Fatigued
[vi]	208	19	South Africa	London, England	Lord'due south	1947	Won
[7]	115	20	South Africa	Manchester, England	Old Trafford	1947	Won
[8]	113	22	South Africa	London, England	Kennington Oval	1947	Drawn
[9]	184	23	Australia	Nottingham, England	Trent Bridge	1948	Lost
[10]	145*	25	Commonwealth of australia	Manchester, England	Quondam Trafford	1948	Drawn
[11]	114	29	Due south Africa	Johannesburg, South Africa	Ellis Park	1948	Drawn
[12]	114	33	New Zealand	Leeds, England	Headingley	1949	Fatigued
[13]	116	34	New Zealand	London, England	Lord's	1949	Drawn
[14]	112	44	Southward Africa	Nottingham, England	Trent Bridge	1951	Lost
[15]	133	58	W Indies	Port of Spain, Trinidad	Queen's Park Oval	1954	Fatigued
[16]	278	61	Pakistan	Nottingham, England	Trent Span	1954	Won
[17]	158	70	S Africa	Manchester, England	Old Trafford	1955	Lost

^[35]

Honours [edit]

Armory^[1]

• First Division: 1948
• FA Cup: 1950

Media [edit]

Compton is mentioned in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Builders." When questioning the maid Polly about who is at fault for some bungled hotel renovations, Basil sarcastically asks her, "... whose fault is it then yous cloth-eared bint? Denis Compton'southward?"^[37]

In an episode of Ever Decreasing Circles titled "The Cricket Lucifer", Martin explains to his neighbour Paul that Compton never undermined his county captain George Mann despite existence the better actor.

In Tim Rice'due south University Awards acceptance oral communication for the song "Tin Y'all Feel the Love Tonight", he thanked Compton as "... a childhood hero of mine."^[38]

In the As Fourth dimension Goes By episode "Living Together, But Where?", Lionel wonders whether he should keep his copy of a book written past Compton.

Denis Compton appears equally a mystery guest in the BBC version of "What'southward My Line?", hosted by Eamonn Andrews having aired on Oct. five, 1957. A very rare complete episode can be seen on YouTube.

References [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Denis Compton". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on five March 2016.
2. ^ "Player Profile: Denis Compton". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved six Dec 2012.
3. ^ Lord'south Cricket Footing, northward/a (27 November 2020). "Coaching Masterclass from Don Bradman with Richie Benaud". Facebook . Retrieved 27 Nov 2020.
4. ^ List of batsmen who have scored 100 centuries in first-form cricket
5. ^ Wadhwa, Arjun (18 July 2009). "Benaud, Gooch, Compton, Larwood and Woolley inducted into Cricket Hall of Fame". The Sport Campus. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
6. ^ "Cricket at London Shenley Club". Shenley Cricket Centre.co.united kingdom. Archived from the original on 18 Nov 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
7. ^ "A Stand TO Proper name STANDS Afterwards". Lords.org. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
8. ^ Denis Compton: The Authorized Biography, Tim Heald, Pavilion, 2006, p. five
9. ^ https://archive.acscricket.com/famous_cricketers/39/5/
10. ^ https://world wide web.nytimes.com/1997/04/25/world/denis-compton-78-cricketer-who-lifted-united kingdom-south-spirits.html
11. ^ "The Oxford Lexicon of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Printing. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63003. ISBN978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or U.k. public library membership required.)
12. ^ Croudy, Brian; Bartlett, Kit (1998). D.C.S. Compton. Famous Cricketers. Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN0-947774-95-5 . Retrieved 28 Dec 2014.
13. ^ Berry, Scyld (23 April 1997). "Obituary: Denis Compton". The Contained.
14. ^ ^{a b c} "Denis Compton". Spartacus Educational.com.
15. ^ ^{a b c d} Heald, Tim (iv May 2015). Denis Compton: The Authorized Biography. Dean Street Press.
16. ^ "Youngest Players on debut for England in Test matches". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
17. ^ de Lacy, H.A., "Compton'southward Modest Story of his Rising to Fame", The Sporting Globe, (Sabbatum, 15 October 1949), pp.four, v.
18. ^ ^{a b c} "Denis Compton 'The Brylcreem boy' hits his superlative". The Sunday Herald. Scotland. 22 Oct 2007.
19. ^ ^{a b} Easterbrook, Basil (1997). "Compton's tape season". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
20. ^ "Denis Compton's feat in 1947". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
21. ^ ^{a b c d} Keating, Frank (1998). "Denis Compton – talisman of hope, 1998... Delightful man". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved x March 2013.
22. ^ "Middlesex v Kent at Lord's, 13–15 Baronial 1947". Retrieved ten March 2013.
23. ^ Lynch, Steven (2 September 2013). "Bruised only non shaken". ESPNcricinfo.
24. ^ Compton'due south 300 remembered. Content-u.s.a..cricinfo.com (three December 1998). Retrieved 24 August 2015.
25. ^ "Denis Compton Does It (1952)". British Pathe – via YouTube.
26. ^ "Hundred runs or more than between lunch and tea". ESPNcricinfo.
27. ^ ^{a b} "Denis Compton pulls on Arsenal number xi shirt". Getty Images.com.
28. ^ "Off-side – a cricketing XI that made strides in football". International Cricket Council . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
29. ^ "1937–38 competition statistics". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
30. ^ ^{a b} Dawson, Matt (v March 2015). "Ii one-gild brothers: Arsenal'due south Leslie and Denis Compton". Vavel.com.
31. ^ Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 58–59. ISBNane-869833-21-Ten.
32. ^ "Leslie Compton". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on xix October 2016.
33. ^ ^{a b c} "Obituary: Denis Compton". The Daily Telegraph. 24 April 1997. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012.
34. ^ "Nick Compton". ESPNcricinfo.
35. ^ ^{a b} "Denis Compton'south Test Centuries". Howstat.com.
36. ^ Statsguru: Denis Compton, ESPNcricinfo, 16 March 2010.
37. ^ Holm, Lars Holger (February 2004). Fawlty Towers: A Worshippers Companion. Leo Publishing.
38. ^ Lynch, Steven (9 January 2012). "Compton confounds Hollywood". ESPNcricinfo.

External links [edit]

• Denis Compton at ESPNcricinfo
• Hall of Fame Profile at ICC Website
• Profile at Armory.com

Sporting positions
Preceded by Walter Robins	Middlesex County Cricket Captain 1951–1952 (jointly with Nib Edrich)	Succeeded by Nib Edrich

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Compton

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