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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Somerset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Mashonaland Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Worcestershire (on loan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Sri Lanka Ports Authority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 July 2018
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Nicholas 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 was a right-handed batsman who opened the batting. He also sometimes bowled off spin with his right arm. Nick started his professional career with Middlesex County Cricket Club in 2001. Later, he moved to Somerset in 2010. There, he became a very good scorer. Because of his strong performance, he made his England Test debut in November 2012 against India.
In April 2013, Nick Compton was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This is a very special award in cricket. He returned to Middlesex in 2014. Nick stopped playing professional cricket in 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Family
Nick Compton was born and grew up in Durban, South Africa. His father, Richard Compton, was also a first-class cricketer. His mother, Glynis, was from Zimbabwe. Nick's family had a strong connection to cricket.
His grandfather was Denis Compton, a famous English Test cricketer. Denis also played football for Arsenal. Nick's great-uncle, Leslie Compton, was also a first-class cricketer and played for Arsenal. 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 there 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. He played against the West Indies Under-19s. He was an opening batsman and scored 74 runs in one match. He also played for England Under-18s.
Nick started studying at Durham University. However, a long-term groin injury stopped him from playing cricket. He had to leave his studies because of the injury.
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Middlesex
After finishing school in 2001, Nick joined Middlesex County Cricket Club. He made his first team debut in the Norwich Union League that year. He scored 6 runs in his first match. Because he played so well for the youth teams, he won the NBC Denis Compton Award in 2001. This award is named after his famous grandfather.
In 2002, Nick played for the England Under-19s in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup. He scored 133 runs in five matches. Later that year, he made his first half-century in one-day cricket. He won the NBC Denis Compton Award again in 2002.
Nick had some injuries in 2003. He made his first-class debut in 2004. In 2005, he scored his first half-century in first-class cricket. He also played club cricket in South Africa to improve his skills.
In 2006, Nick became a key player for Middlesex. He scored 1,315 runs that season, including six centuries. His highest score was 190 runs. He won the NBC Denis Compton Award for a third time. His strong performance led him to be chosen for the England A team tour to Bangladesh.
Later Middlesex Career
Nick's form dipped a bit in 2007. However, his one-day cricket improved. He scored his first List A century with 110 runs not out. In 2009, he played much better. He scored 860 runs in first-class cricket, including two centuries.
In one-day cricket, Nick was in great form. He scored three centuries and 694 runs. His highest score was 131. At the end of 2009, Nick decided to leave Middlesex. He wanted a new challenge in his cricket career.
Moving to Somerset
Nick signed with Somerset in 2010. He was expected to be a top batsman for them. In his first season, he scored 465 runs in first-class cricket. He also helped Somerset reach the final of the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 competition.
In 2010-11, Nick played for Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe. He played very well in all types of cricket there. He scored many runs and several half-centuries.
He started the 2011 season strongly for Somerset. He scored a one-day century and his first ever double century in first-class cricket (254 runs not out). He scored 1,098 runs that season 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). He also had a record-breaking partnership of 450 runs with James Hildreth. He scored a second double-century against Nottinghamshire. His excellent performance earned him a call-up to the England Lions team.
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. He finished the 2012 English cricket season with 1,494 runs. He won the PCA Player of the Year award for his outstanding performance.
At the end of the 2014 season, Nick left Somerset. He felt he needed a change and wanted to live in London again.
Back to Middlesex
On 12 December 2014, Nick Compton returned to Middlesex County Cricket Club. 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
First Test Matches in India
After some top England players retired or were not chosen, Nick Compton's many runs earned him a spot in the England Test squad. This was for the tour to India in late 2012.
Nick made his England debut in a practice match against India A. He scored 64 runs not out in another practice match. In the final practice match, he scored 74 and 79 runs. He also had a great opening partnership of 166 runs with captain Alastair Cook.
He made his official Test debut in the first Test in Ahmedabad. He scored 9 runs and then 37 runs. In the second Test, he helped England win by 10 wickets. Nick scored his first Test half-century (57 runs) in the third Test. England won the series in India 2–1. This was their first series win there since 1984–85. Nick played in all four matches. He scored 208 runs in total.
Success in New Zealand
Nick's good performance in India kept him in England's Test squad. This was for the tour to New Zealand in March 2013. In the first Test, he scored his first Test century, making 117 runs. England drew that match. He then scored his second century, exactly 100 runs, in the second Test. Nick was England's third-highest run-scorer in that series.
In 2013, Nick was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This award recognized his achievements from the previous English season. Nick played for England in the home series against New Zealand. However, he struggled in those matches, scoring only 39 runs in four innings.
Because of this, some people thought he might be dropped for the Ashes series. But Nick returned to club cricket and scored a century for Somerset. He also scored a vital half-century that helped Somerset win their first match of the season.
Despite his good club form, Nick was not chosen for the Ashes warm-up match. The selectors chose Joe Root instead. On his 30th birthday, Nick scored 81 runs for Somerset against the touring Australian team. He was still considered by the selectors but did not play in the Ashes series.
Playing Against South Africa
In November 2015, Nick was called back to the Test squad. This was for the tour to South Africa. In the first Test, played in his hometown of Durban, Nick scored 85 runs. He helped England recover from a difficult position.
He almost scored another half-century in the second innings, making 49 runs. Nick continued his good form in the second Test, scoring 45 runs. The match ended in a draw. In the third Test, he scored 26 runs. England won the series 2–1. He scored 25 runs in the fourth Test, which England lost.
Final Matches Against Sri Lanka
In May 2016, Nick was selected for the England Test squad to play against Sri Lanka. Many thought this would be his last chance. He scored zero runs in the first innings. England won that match easily. Nick kept his place for the second Test. He scored 9 runs in the first innings and 22 runs not out in the second. England won by nine wickets.
In the final match of the series, he scored 1 run and then 19 runs. The match ended in a draw. Nick did not play any matches for Middlesex in 2018. He 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. They are playing in the Seniors World Cup in India.
Life After Cricket
After he retired from playing cricket, Nick Compton became a professional photographer.
