Famous Cricketers No 39 - D.C.S.Compton

1948 It was extremely unlikely that Denis Compton would scale quite such heights again although he was still a very fine batsman. He and W.J.Edrich started the season in similar vein as in Middlesex’s fourth match of the summer they put on a stand of 424 runs for the third wicket against Somerset at Lord’s, a record which stood for forty-nine years. The partnership was undefeated and took only four hours. Compton’s 252 not out was his highest score in first-class cricket to date and he hit three sixes and thirty-seven fours. He seemed to take a liking to the Surrey bowling as he hit two more hundreds against them. England performed poorly against the all-conquering Australians who remained unbeaten on British soil for the first time ever. He made a total of 562 runs in the Test matches with two excellent hundreds both scored under extremely difficult and strenuous circumstances, the hallmark of a truly great batsman as Compton had now undoubtedly become. Middlesex finished third in the Championship. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 203. M.C.C. v Surrey, Lord’s, May 5, 6, 7 (M.C.C. won by 94 runs) lbw b J.C.Laker 4 225 24.3 1 83 3 H.S.Squires st H.G.Davies 278 A.V.Bedser b J.W.J.McMahon c F.G.Mann c A.V.Bedser b W.S.Surridge 123 383 12 1 78 2 J.C.Laker lbw 236 A.V.Bedser c F.G.Mann 204. Middlesex v Hampshire, Lord’s, May 8, 10, 11 (Middlesex won by 12 runs) c V.J.Ransom b J.Bailey 14 207 28 4 92 2 N.T.McCorkell c L.H.Compton 222 1 C.G.A.Paris c L.H.Compton lbw b J.Bailey 17 181 16.3 11 28 1 C.J.Knott b 154 205. Middlesex v Worcestershire, Lord’s, May 12, 13 (Middlesex won by ten wickets) c and b R.T.D.Perks 94 282 5 1 22 1 R.E.S.Wyatt lbw 157 2 did not bat - 8-0 13 4 36 4 D.M.Young lbw 132 2 R.E.S.Wyatt st L.H.Compton R.O.Jenkins c W.J.Edrich R.T.D.Perks c and b 206. Middlesex v Sussex, Lord’s, May 15, 17, 18 (Middlesex won by eight wickets) b A.S.M.Oakman 17 392-5d 19.2 6 54 4 D.V.Smith b 156 1 C.Oakes c W.J.Edrich J.Langridge c L.H.Compton J.H.Cornford c W.J.Edrich not out 16 220-2 29 4 88 1 J.Langridge c L.H.Compton 455 207. Middlesex v Somerset, Lord’s, May 19, 20, 21 (Middlesex won by ten wickets) not out 252 478-2d 15 4 55 2 N.S.Mitchell-Innes b 194 1 G.E.S.Woodhouse lbw did not bat - 29-0 19 3 69 2 E.Hill st L.H.Compton 310 G.E.S.Woodhouse c W.J.Edrich 208. M.C.C. v Australians, Lord’s, May 22, 24, 25 (Australians won by an innings and 158 runs) c D.Tallon b E.R.H.Toshack 26 189 3 1 5 0 552 1 c I.W.Johnson b R.R.Lindwall 20 205 209. Middlesex v Leicestershire, Lord’s, May (26), 27, 28 (Match drawn) c P.Corrall b V.E.Jackson 84 246 8 1 36 0 323 2 c and b W.B.Cornock 21 74-2 14 2 35 2 L.G.Berry st L.H.Compton 176-2d G.Lester b 210. Middlesex v Lancashire, Lord’s, May (29), 31, June 1 (Match drawn) c T.L.Brierley b R.Pollard 31 192 4 0 17 0 193-2 211. England v The Rest, Edgbaston, June 2, 3, 4 (Match drawn) c K.Cranston b W.H.Copson 0 213-7 158-9d 212. Middlesex v Yorkshire, Lord’s, June 5, 7, 8 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 80 runs) lbw b T.F.Smailes 59 186 30 9 83 2 J.V.Wilson lbw 392 2 N.W.D.Yardley hit wkt c T.F.Smailes b J.H.Wardle 3 126 213. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Trent Bridge, June 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 (Australia won by eight wickets) b K.R.Miller 19 165 5 0 24 0 509 26