Nick Compton facts for kids
Compton in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Nicholas Richard Denis Compton
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| Born | 26 June 1983 Durban, Natal Province, South Africa |
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| Nickname | Compo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Denis Compton (grandfather) Leslie Compton (grand-uncle) Richard Compton (father) Patrick Compton (uncle) Ben Compton (cousin) |
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| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 654) | 15 November 2012 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 9 June 2016 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Somerset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Mashonaland Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Worcestershire (on loan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Sri Lanka Ports Authority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 July 2018
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Nicholas "Nick" Richard Denis Compton (born 26 June 1983) is a former English cricketer. He was born in South Africa. Nick played for the England Test team in 16 matches. He also played a lot of first-class cricket for teams like Middlesex and Somerset.
Nick is the grandson of the famous English cricketer Denis Compton. He was a right-handed batsman who usually opened the batting. Sometimes, he would bowl a bit of off spin. He made his first big cricket appearance for Middlesex in 2001. After moving to Somerset in 2010, he became a very good scorer. This led to him playing for England in Test matches starting in November 2012.
In 2013, Nick Compton was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This is a big award in cricket. He stopped playing professional cricket in 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Family Connections
Nick Compton was born and grew up in Durban, South Africa. His father, Richard Compton, also played first-class cricket. Nick's mother, Glynis, worked in public relations and journalism.
Cricket was a big part of Nick's life from a young age. His grandfather was Denis Compton, a famous English Test cricketer and footballer. His great-uncle, Leslie Compton, was also a well-known cricketer and footballer. Nick's father and uncle, Patrick Compton, both played first-class cricket in South Africa.
Nick moved to England when he was a teenager. He went to Harrow School on a sports scholarship. He was a great captain for the school team and scored many centuries. In 2000, he played very well for Middlesex's Under-19 team.
When he was 18, Nick played for an England Schools team against the West Indies Under-19s. He scored 74 runs in one of these matches. Soon after, he played for England Under-18s.
Nick started studying at Durham University. However, a long-term groin injury needed surgery. This stopped him from playing cricket and he had to leave his course.
First-Class Cricket Journey
After finishing school in 2001, Nick joined Middlesex. He made his first team debut in a one-day match that year. His good performances for the younger Middlesex teams earned him the NBC Denis Compton Award in 2001. This award is named after his famous grandfather.
The next year, Nick was chosen for the England Under-19s squad. He played in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup in 2002, scoring 133 runs. In July 2002, he played his first Under-19 Test match against India. He also scored his first half-century in a one-day match for Middlesex. He won the NBC Denis Compton Award again in 2002.
Nick faced injuries in 2003 and didn0t play much. He made his official first-class debut in May 2004. In 2005, he scored his first half-century in a first-class match. He also played club cricket in South Africa to improve his skills.
Breakthrough at Middlesex
In 2006, Nick really started to shine. He scored six centuries and 1,315 runs, which was the most for Middlesex that season. His highest score was 190 runs. Because of his great form, Middlesex gave him a "county cap," which is a special award. He also won the NBC Denis Compton Award for a third time.
His strong performances led to him being selected for the England A team tour to Bangladesh in 2006–07. The England A team is a step below the main England team. He scored 92 runs in one first-class match there.
In 2007, Nick's first-class scores dipped a bit, but his one-day form improved. He scored his first century in a one-day match, getting 110 not out. In 2009, he had a much better season for Middlesex, scoring 860 runs in first-class cricket. He also scored three centuries in one-day cricket. After this season, Nick decided to leave Middlesex for a new challenge.
Moving to Somerset
Nick signed with Somerset in 2010. He was expected to be a key batsman for them. In his first season, he helped Somerset reach the final of the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 one-day competition. He also scored his highest Twenty20 score of 74.
During the 2010–11 season, Nick played for Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe. He played very well in all types of cricket there.
The 2011 season was excellent for Nick at Somerset. He scored a one-day century and his first ever double century in first-class cricket, scoring 254 not out. He ended the season with 1,098 runs and received his county cap for Somerset. He also helped Somerset reach the semi-final of the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 in India.
In 2012, Nick continued his amazing form. He scored another double century, 236 runs, early in the season. He also had a huge partnership of 450 runs with James Hildreth, setting a new record for Somerset. His great scoring earned him a call-up to the England Lions again.
Nick was close to being the first batsman in 25 years to score 1,000 first-class runs before the end of May. He reached this milestone with a century the next day, becoming the earliest batsman to do so in 24 years. He finished the 2012 English season with 1,494 runs at an average of 99.60. He was the only English batsman to score 1,000 runs in the County Championship and won the PCA Player of the Year award.
At the end of the 2014 season, Nick left Somerset. He wanted to return to living in London.
Back to Middlesex
On 12 December 2014, Middlesex County Cricket Club announced that Nick Compton was returning to the team. He signed a three-year contract. His contract was extended until the end of the 2018 season. However, he did not play any matches in 2018.
Playing for England
After some top players retired or were not selected, Nick Compton's excellent scoring for Somerset earned him a spot in the England Test squad. This was for their tour to India in late 2012.
Debut in India (2012)
Nick made his England debut in a warm-up match against India A. He then scored half-centuries in two other warm-up matches. He opened the batting with England captain Alastair Cook.
His official Test debut was in the first match of the series in Ahmedabad. He scored 9 runs in the first innings and 37 runs in the second. In the second Test, he helped England win by 10 wickets. Nick scored his first Test half-century in the third Test, making 57 runs. In the fourth Test, England drew the match and won the series 2–1. This was England's first series win in India since 1984–85. Nick played in all four matches, scoring 208 runs in total.
New Zealand Tour (2013)
Nick's performance in India kept his place in England's Test squad for the tour to New Zealand in March 2013. In the first Test, he scored his first Test century, making 117 runs. He then scored another century, exactly 100 runs, in the second Test. He finished the series as England's third-highest run-scorer.
In 2013, Nick was recognized as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This award celebrates the best cricketers of the previous English season.
He played in the home series against New Zealand but struggled, scoring only 39 runs in four innings. This led to some people suggesting he should be replaced. However, Nick returned to first-class cricket for Somerset and scored another century. Despite this, he was dropped from the England squad for the Ashes warm-up matches.
South Africa Tour (2015–16)
In November 2015, after more than two years, Nick was called back to the Test squad for the tour to South Africa. In the first Test in his hometown of Durban, he scored 85 runs in the first innings. He also shared a century partnership with James Taylor.
He scored 49 runs in the second innings of that match. In the second Test, he scored 45 runs in the first innings. England won the series 2–1.
Sri Lanka Tour (2016)
In May 2016, Nick was named in the England Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka. He struggled in the first match, getting out for a duck. He kept his place for the second Test and scored 22 not out in the second innings, helping England win. In the final match, he scored 19 runs.
Nick Compton announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in October 2018. As of February 2024, Nick is playing for the England Seniors over 40 cricket team in the Seniors World Cup in India.
Life After Cricket
After retiring from professional cricket, Nick Compton became a professional photographer.
