Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE (born 23 May 1918 in Hendon, Middlesex, died 23 April 1997 in Windsor, Berkshire) was an English cricketer and footballer. By the late 1930s he was a leading England batsman and remained at the top of his profession for almost three decades. 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 right hand bat and a slow left arm Chinaman bowler.
One of the few people to be both a cricket and a football international, he, together with his brother Leslie, also enjoys the remarkable distinction of being the only individual to be a member of both the champion county side - Middlesex CCC - and the Cup-winning club - Arsenal FC in a single calendar year - 1950.
In 1947 he thrilled a war weary English public by breaking record after record in scoring 3816 runs; he scored 18 centuries. 753 of those runs came against the touring South Africans. This season was the summit of a glittering career that began on the ground staff at Lord's; selection for Middlesex followed in 1936 and England the following year.
D.C.S. Compton (pre-Brylcreem) in an Arsenal shirt.He scored his first Test century as a precocious 19 year old in 1938 against Don Bradman's touring Australians. 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 West Indies at Lord's.
As with many other sportsman of his generation he lost some of his best years to the Second World War, during which he served in the army in India. It was in India, however, that he began his close friendship with his Australian counterpart as Test cricketer, footballer and national hero, Keith Miller. They played against 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 one of the rioters who had invaded the pitch ran up to Compton and said "Mr Compton, you very good player, but the match must stop now", which Miller gleefully repeated whenever Compton came to the crease subsequently. In recognition of their friendship and rivalry, the ECB and Cricket Australia decided in 2005 that the player adjudged the Player of the Series in the Ashes would be awarded the Miller-Compton Medal.
In 1946, England toured Australia and although beaten by the powerful Australian team, Compton distinguished himself by scoring a century in each innings of the Adelaide Test.
Back in England in 1947 he had his glorious season, thereafter he remained a wonderful adornment to the game of cricket until his retirement in 1956/1957.
Compton finished his cricket career after playing 78 Test matches with 17 centuries at an average of 50.06. In all first-class cricket he scored 123 centuries.
Denis Compton's career performance graph.Compton also played football, beginning his career at non-league Nunhead F.C. during the 1934/35 season before joining Arsenal. A winger, he made his debut in 1936, and won the League in 1948 and the FA Cup in 1950. However, the latter part of his sporting career was dogged by knee trouble, the knee had been damaged in a collision with the Charlton goalkeeper; he was limited to 60 official (i.e. non-wartime) appearances and 16 goals. He represented England in wartime 12 times, but never in a full official match.
Compton jointly captained Middlesex CCC between 1951 and 1952, with W.J.Edrich. They were honoured with the creation of the Edrich and Compton stands at the Nursery End in Lord's Cricket Ground.
Compton's absent-mindedness was legendary. Colin Cowdrey writes that Compton turned up for the Old 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 155 and 79 not out. This absent-mindedness was particularly obvious in his tendency 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.' Typically, at his brother Leslie's benefit match in 1955, he managed to run him out before he had faced a single ball.
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 guest was called to the telephone by a lady who had heard about the dinner: eventually, he agreed to take the call. "Denis," she said, "it's me, your mother. You're not 70, you're only 69."
After retiring from sport, Denis Compton became a journalist and later 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 CCC in 1991. He served two terms, until a week before his death in Windsor, Berkshire aged 78.
This post has been edited by Gordon Freeman on 25 Apr 2007, 15:53
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