Nicholas Richard Denis Compton (born 26 June 1983) is a South African-born English former Test and first-class cricketer who most recently played for Middlesex County Cricket Club. The grandson of Denis Compton, he represented England in 16 Test matches.
A right-handed top order batsman and occasional right-arm off spin bowler, he made his List-A debut for Middlesex in 2001 and made his first-class debut three years later. A move to Somerset in 2010 saw Compton establish himself as a consistent scorer in a strong top order and following a prolific domestic season he made his England Test debut against India in November 2012.
In April 2013, the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack named Compton as one of their five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. He made a guest appearance for Worcestershire during the 2013 season.
Compton left Somerset to return to Middlesex at the end of the 2014 season. On 23 June 2016, Compton announced that he would be taking an extended break from the game, following his disappointing performances in the Test series against Sri Lanka. He returned to first-class cricket in August 2016. He retired in 2018.
Compton was born and raised in Durban, Natal Province, South Africa, the son of former first-class cricketer Richard Compton and Zimbabwean mother Glynis who had backgrounds in public relations and journalism. Compton was immersed in cricket from an early age: he is the grandson of English test cricketer and Arsenal footballer Denis Compton and the great-nephew of established first-class cricketer and fellow Arsenal footballer Leslie Compton.
Compton's father Richard and uncle Patrick both played first-class cricket for Natal in South Africa. Compton moved to England while in his teens and attended Harrow School on a sports scholarship scheme where he was mentored by housemaster David Elleray. Compton impressed with a hatful of centuries for the school playing as captain and was prolific during the 2000 season for Middlesex's Under-19 side.
Having only just turned 18, Compton played for an ECB Schools side against West Indies Under-19s in three matches playing as an opening batsman, top scoring for the side in the third match with 74. A month later, he represented England Under-18s during the same tour, on this occasion scoring 42 playing at number three.
Compton began a social science degree at Durham University, matriculating at Hatfield College. However, a persistent groin problem, which eventually led to surgery, curtailed his cricket and forced him to withdraw from the course.
Upon completing his A levels at Harrow in June 2001, Compton joined Middlesex on a summer contract, and entered into the record books in his debut Second XI Championship match, Compton was the last of five batsman out in six balls bowled by Glamorgan paceman Alex Wharf.
Compton made his Middlesex first-team debut in the Norwich Union League at the end of the 2001 season, batting at six he scored just 6 runs from 9 deliveries in a 40 run defeat by Glamorgan. His promising performances for Middlesex's Under-19s and Second XI led him to receive the NBC Denis Compton Award, named after his grandfather, awarded to the most promising Middlesex player for 2001. The following winter, he was selected for the England Under-19s squad to take part in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in January and February 2002. Compton played in five of England's six matches as they reached the second group stage, Compton scoring 133 runs with one 50 at an average of 23.
In July 2002, Compton made his U19 Test match debut against India, but made a total of just six runs from his two innings opening the batting. He had to wait until August for his next first-team appearance where he played four further Norwich Union League, impressing in reaching his maiden one day half-century with an 86 not out against Lancashire. His promise saw him awarded Middlesex's NBC Denis Compton award for the second consecutive year. Compton did not play at all for the Middlesex first team during the 2003 season due to injury and made his first-class debut against Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence in May 2004, Compton played a further three matches in the County Championship that season, in addition to ten one day matches and his Twenty20 debut. He only played in one first-class match in 2005 but scored his debut half-century in the match against Cambridge UCCE. In the winter of that year he would continue to hone his skills by playing domestic club cricket in Durban for Berea Rovers, the former local club of South African-born England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
He established himself in 2006, with a string of strong scores, including six centuries, and was award a county cap by the Middlesex in that season. His breakthrough season saw him score 1,315 runs at an average of 46.96, topping Middlesex's first-class runs charts, with his highest score of 190 coming in the County Championship match against Durham in July helping Middlesex to draw the match after being forced to follow-on. This breakthrough saw Compton awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award for a third time in 2006. Compton's good form saw him selected to tour with the England A team in Bangladesh in 2006–07. His highest score in a first-class match was 92 against Bangladesh A as he topped the England A averages with 140 runs at 46.66, though he did hit 152* in one of the minor tour matches.
The 2007 season saw a dip in form for Compton scoring less than 400 runs in first-class cricket with just three fifties, including featuring for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against County Champions Sussex. Although his one-day form improved with his first List A century in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy against Sussex in June 2007, scoring 110 not out. During the 2008 season Compton only played five first-class matches scoring just 68 runs at an average of 8.50, thus the 2009 season was a marked improvement top scoring in first-class cricket for Middlesex with 860 runs including two centuries and three half-centuries.
In one-day cricket Compton was in fine form with three centuries and 694 runs at an average of 77.11, and a highest score of 131 against Kent. Compton rejected an improved two-year contract with Middlesex acting on a verbal agreement with Angus Fraser, Middlesex's managing director of cricket, when he signed a new contract a year ago, that he would be free to move on if he wished at the end of the season.
Having left Middlesex because he wanted a fresh challenge, Compton subsequently signed for Somerset on a multi-year contract, where he was expected to bat in the top three. Compton enjoyed a moderately successful first season in 2010 for Somerset, in first-class cricket only scoring 465 runs but in one day cricket Compton scored six fifties helping Somerset to the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 final against Warwickshire and recorded his highest score of 74 in Twenty20 cricket.
Compton spent the first half of the 2010–11 season with Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe, impressing in all forms of cricket scoring 209 runs in three first-class matches at an average of 41.80, scoring 204 runs in three one day matches at an average of 102, and scoring three fifties in six Twenty20 matches including matching his highest score of 74.
He started the 2011 season well for Somerset with a one-day century in the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40 against the Unicorns on 1 May 2011, and just over a week later scored his first ever double century in first-class cricket with 254* against Durham. Compton's first-class form continued with him scoring 1,098 runs at an average of 57.78 and being awarded his county cap for Somerset. The end of the season saw Compton helping Somerset against the odds to the semi-final of the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 in India.
With the earliest-ever start to a first-class cricket season, Compton took advantage by scoring 236 against Cardiff MCCU on 1/2 April 2012. This was the second earliest double-century in English cricket (after James Hildreth), and Compton's partnership of 450 with Hildreth for the second wicket set a new first-class record for Somerset.