Denis Compton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Denis Compton

Compton in about 1936
Personal information
Full name	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	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Left arm unorthodox spin
Relations	Leslie Compton (brother) Richard Compton (son) Patrick Compton (son) Ben Compton (grandson) Nick Compton (grandson) Charlotte Compton (daughter) Victoria Compton (daughter)
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 297)	14 August 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 Test First-class Matches 78 515 Runs scored 5,807 38,942 Batting average 50.06 51.85 100s/50s 17/28 123/183 Top score 278 300 Balls bowled 2,710 36,640 Wickets 25 622 Bowling average 56.40 32.27 5 wickets in innings 1 19 10 wickets in match 0 3 Best bowling 5/70 7/36 Catches/stumpings 49/– 416/–
Source: Cricinfo, 15 August 2022

Denis Compton (born May 23, 1918 – died April 23, 1997) was a famous English sportsman. He was a brilliant cricketer who played 78 Test matches for England. He spent his entire cricket career with Middlesex. He was also a talented footballer, playing as a winger for Arsenal.

Denis was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm spin bowler. Many people say he was one of England's most amazing batsmen ever. Even Sir Don Bradman, a cricket legend, called him one of the greatest players he had seen. Compton is one of only 25 players to score over 100 centuries in first-class cricket. In 2009, he was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The Denis Compton Oval and a special stand at Lord's Cricket Ground are named after him.

Cricket Career: How Denis Compton Became a Star

Early Days: Starting Young

Compton in 1939 as a gunner in the army

Denis Compton was born in Hendon, England. His father was a painter and decorator. Denis was the youngest of three children. He went to Bell Lane Primary School. At 15, he joined the staff at Lord's Cricket Ground. The year before, he scored 114 runs as captain of a school team. This impressed Sir Pelham Warner, a Test selector.

By the late 1930s, Compton was one of England's best batsmen. He stayed at the top for about 20 years. Fans loved his exciting batting style and how much he enjoyed the game. He was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He bowled slow left-arm wrist-spin.

Compton played his first England match against New Zealand in 1937. He was only 19 years and 83 days old. This makes him the third youngest England player to ever make his debut. In 1938, at 20 years and 19 days, he scored his first Test century. This was against Don Bradman's Australians. He broke the record for the youngest Test century by an England batsman. This record still stands today.

Wartime Cricket: A Global Game

Like many athletes, Denis lost some of his best playing years to World War II. During the war, he served in the army in India. He was allowed to play cricket for the Holkar team. This was in the Ranji Trophy, India's national cricket tournament. In India, he became good friends with Keith Miller, an Australian Test cricketer.

They played against each other in a match in Calcutta. The game was stopped by rioting when Compton had scored 94 runs. A rioter ran up to him and said, "Mr Compton, you very good player, but the match must stop now." Keith Miller loved to tell this story whenever Compton played against Australia. To celebrate their friendship, the the Ashes Player of the Series now receives the Compton–Miller medal.

1947: A Season to Remember

In 1947, Compton had an amazing cricket season. He became a household name in Britain. He cheered up the English public, who were tired from the war, with his exciting batting. He scored five centuries against the touring South Africans. Four of these were for England and one for Middlesex. He scored 1,056 runs at an average of 88.

That season, he scored a total of 3,816 runs in all matches. This is still the most runs ever made in a first-class season. He also scored 18 centuries that season, which is another world record. Cricket writers Neville Cardus and John Arlott praised Compton's achievements.

Later Career: Overcoming Challenges

Compton at the Ashes Test Series on 29 October 1954

In 1948, Compton was England's best player against Bradman's famous Invincibles team. In one match, he scored 184 runs. In another, he scored 145 not out. This was even after he was hit on the head by a fast ball and needed stitches. He still came back to bat!

On a tour of South Africa in 1948–49, he scored 300 runs in just over three hours. This is still the fastest triple-century in first-class cricket. He said the South African bowlers were good, but their fielders dropped his catches.

In 1950–51, he toured Australia as vice-captain. This was the first time a professional player had this role in the 20th century. However, he had a tough tour because of a knee injury from football. He became the first professional to captain the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for a whole game. He and Len Hutton helped England win a Test match in Australia for the first time since 1938.

Compton also shared the captaincy of Middlesex from 1951 to 1952 with Bill Edrich. In 1952, he scored his 100th first-class century for Middlesex at Lord's.

In his last Test against Australia in 1956, he scored an amazing 94 runs. This was even after having his right kneecap removed! He finished his Test career with 78 matches, 17 centuries, and an average of 50.06. In all first-class cricket, he scored 123 centuries.

Football Career: A Winger for Arsenal

Denis Compton was also a talented football player. He started his career at Nunhead before joining Arsenal in 1936. He played as a winger and wore the number 11 shirt. Arsenal won the league championship in 1937–38. Denis didn't get a medal then because he only played 7 games.

Later, he helped Arsenal win the League title in 1948. He also won the FA Cup in 1950. His football career was affected by knee problems. His right knee was hurt in a collision with a goalkeeper. He played 60 official games for Arsenal and scored 16 goals. He played for England in wartime games but never in a full official match.

Personality and Legacy: A Fun-Loving Legend

Compton was known for being a bit absent-minded. Colin Cowdrey said that Denis once showed up for a Test match without his cricket bag. He just borrowed an old bat from the museum and went on to score 158 runs! He was also famous for accidentally running out his batting partners. Trevor Bailey joked that if Compton called for a run, it was "no more than a basis for negotiation."

Compton's career performance graph

After he retired from sports, Denis Compton became a journalist. He also worked as a commentator for BBC Television. In 1958, he was made a CBE, which is a special honour. In 1991, he became the first former professional cricketer to be President of Middlesex County Cricket Club. He passed away in Windsor at age 78.

His death happened on Saint George's Day, the opening day of the 1997 County Championship season. Flags at cricket grounds across the country were lowered to half-mast. The MCC named the twin stands at Lord's Cricket Ground after him and Bill Edrich. The main pitch at the Shenley Cricket Centre is also named the Denis Compton Oval.

Commercial Success: Beyond the Field

Denis Compton was one of the first British sportsmen to earn a lot of money from advertising. He used his fame to promote products. For many years, he was the face of Brylcreem, a popular hair product for men. He worked closely with an advertising company called Royds Advertising.

Personal Life: Family and Cricket Connections

Denis and Leslie in 1947

Denis Compton's older brother, Leslie, also played cricket for Middlesex. He also played football for Arsenal and England.

Denis was married three times and had several children. His first wife was Doris Rich, a dancer. They had a son named Brian. With his second wife, Valerie Platt, he had two sons, Patrick and Richard. Both Patrick and Richard grew up in South Africa and played cricket there.

In 1975, Denis married his third wife, Christine Franklin Tobias. They had two daughters, Charlotte and Victoria. His grandson, Nick (Richard's son), also became a Test cricketer for England. Nick made his debut against India in 2012.

Honours

Arsenal

• First Division: 1948
• FA Cup: 1950

Media: Denis in Pop Culture

Denis Compton has been mentioned in several TV shows and by famous people:

• He was mentioned in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Builders."
• In Ever Decreasing Circles, a character explains how Compton never tried to outshine his captain.
• Tim Rice, a famous lyricist, thanked Compton as his "childhood hero" in his Academy Awards speech.
• In As Time Goes By, a character wonders if he should keep a book written by Compton.
• Denis Compton appeared as a mystery guest on the BBC show "What's My Line?" in 1957. You can watch a rare episode on YouTube.
• In 1958, Compton and Colin Cowdrey met the band Buddy Holly and The Crickets in London. They even taught the band about cricket!

Images for kids

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  Compton in about 1936

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  Compton in 1939 as a gunner in the army

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  Compton at the Ashes Test Series on 29 October 1954

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  Compton's career performance graph

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  Denis and Leslie in 1947