Compton, Denis Charles Scott

Compton, Denis Charles Scott
▪ 1998

      British cricketer (b. May 23, 1918, Hendon, Middlesex, Eng.—d. April 23, 1997, Windsor, Berkshire, Eng.), was one of the 20th century's most gifted and audacious batsmen, admired for his mastery of the sweeping stroke and his "cheeky schoolboy" spirit both on and off the field. In a first-class career that spanned almost three decades (1936-64), Compton scored 38,942 runs (average, 51.85) and 123 centuries, including 5,807 runs (avg. 50.06) and 17 centuries in 78 Test matches. Although he batted right-handed, as an occasionally devastating left-arm spin bowler he took 622 first-class wickets (avg. 32.27), including 25 in Tests. "Compo" made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 1936, and the next season he was selected for his first Test appearance, in which he scored a 65 against New Zealand. He played in international sports matches while serving in the military in India during World War II and returned home with a boyish enthusiasm that delighted war-weary English fans. In 1947, at the pinnacle of his career, he scored 3,816 runs (avg. 90.85) and 18 centuries, both single-season records that still stood at the time of his death. In 1948-49, playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club against North-Eastern Transvaal in South Africa, he scored 300 runs in 181 minutes, the fastest-ever triple-hundred in first-class cricket. An outstanding all-around athlete, he also played association football (soccer) for Arsenal from 1936 until 1950, when knee surgery ended his football career shortly after Arsenal won the FA Cup. Compton was cricket correspondent for the Sunday Express from 1950, a sports commentator for BBC television from 1958, and the author of numerous books. He made his last Test appearance in 1956 and was made C.B.E. in 1958. A celebrated series of postwar Brylcreem hair-dressing advertisements made the dashing Compton a familiar face, even outside sporting circles.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Denis Compton — Personal information Full name Denis Charles Scott Compton Born 23 May 1918(1918 05 23) Hendon, Middlesex, England Died 23 April 1997 …   Wikipedia

  • Denis Compton — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Denis et Compton. Denis Compton …   Wikipédia en Français

  • cricket — cricket1 cricketlike, adj. /krik it/, n. 1. any of several jumping, orthopterous insects of the family Gryllidae, characterized by long antennae and stridulating organs on the forewings of the male, as one of the species commonly found in… …   Universalium

  • Liste der Persönlichkeiten aus London — London ist der Geburtsort zahlreicher prominenter Persönlichkeiten. Diese Liste zählt Personen auf, die im Großraum London geboren wurden. Es werden alle Gebiete berücksichtigt, die seit 1965 zum Verwaltungsgebiet Greater London gehören. Dazu… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste Londoner Persönlichkeiten — London ist der Geburtsort zahlreicher prominenter Persönlichkeiten. Diese Liste zählt Personen auf, die im Großraum London geboren wurden. Es werden alle Gebiete berücksichtigt, die seit 1965 zum Verwaltungsgebiet Greater London gehören. Dazu… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 1927 — Portal Geschichte | Portal Biografien | Aktuelle Ereignisse | Jahreskalender ◄ | 19. Jahrhundert | 20. Jahrhundert | 21. Jahrhundert   ◄ | 1890er | 1900er | 1910er | 1920er | 1930er | 1940er | 1950er | ► ◄◄ | ◄ | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 |… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Order of Merit — This article is about the Commonwealth realms order. For similarly named orders, see Order of Merit (disambiguation). Order of Merit Insignia of the Order of Merit presented to Dorothy Hodgkin, displayed in the Royal Society in London …   Wikipedia

  • Election generale quebecoise de 1912 — Élection générale québécoise de 1912 Élections au Québec Élections générales 1867 • 1871 • 1875 • 1878 1881 • 1886 • 1890 • …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Élection générale québécoise de 1912 — Élections au Québec Élections générales 1867 • 1871 • 1875 • 1878 1881 • 1886 • 1890 • 1892 1 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Election generale quebecoise de 1916 — Élection générale québécoise de 1916 Élections au Québec Élections générales 1867 • 1871 • 1875 • 1878 1881 • 1886 • 1890 • …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”