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

of the summer at Kennington Oval. England had already retained the Ashes by their two convincing wins at Headingley and Old Trafford but needed to win this game to achieve a positive three-one victory. In his last Test match in this country Compton rose to the occasion. He came in at the fall of the third wicket when the score stood at 66 for 3 and assisted his captain, Peter May, to add 156 runs for the next wicket. Alas he fell at 6.15pm to a splendid catch at short fine leg. He batted altogether for three and a half hours and made his 94 out of the 156 partnership hitting seven fours. He evoked memories of his prime years with many of his old familiar strokes. He made 35 not out in the second innings before May declared. Rain however ruined the finish. Compton’s final season’s aggregate was only 705 runs from thirteen matches. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 453. Middlesex v Lancashire, Lord’s, June 30, July 2, 3 (Match drawn) b A.Wharton 4 168 7 0 22 1 A.Wharton c W.J.Edrich 347-7d 3 c G.A.Edrich b M.J.Hilton 1 130-8 454. Middlesex v Somerset, Glastonbury, July 7, 9, 10 (Match drawn) st H.W.Stephenson b C.L.McCool 110 287 16 5 48 1 L.Pickles lbw 288-9d 1 lbw b B.A.Langford 40 208-6d - - - - 203-7 455. Middlesex v Gloucestershire, Gloucester, July 14, 16, 17 (Middlesex won by nine wickets) c G.M.Emmett b G.E.E.Lambert 47 330-8d - - - - 69 did not bat - 71-1 24 4 80 1 G.E.E.Lambert lbw 331 456. Players v Gentlemen, Lord’s, July 18, 19, (20) (Match drawn) c J.J.Warr b J.M.Allan 25 236 179-6 457. Middlesex v Australians, Lord’s, July 21, 23, 24 (Match drawn) run out 61 198 207 did not bat - 108-5 232-3d 458. Middlesex v Hampshire, Southampton, August (1), 2, 3 (Middlesex won by 12 runs) c D.Shackleton b V.H.D.Cannings 53 227-7d 3 1 12 0 141-8d b D.Shackleton 8 82-5d - - - - 156 2 459. Middlesex v Sussex, Hove, August 4, 6, 7 (Middlesex won by eight wickets) run out 3 271-9d - - - - 120 did not bat - 47-2 10 3 21 1 D.A.Stripp c W.J.Edrich 197 460. Middlesex v Surrey, Kennington Oval, August 11, 13, 14 (Surrey won by seven wickets) c M.J.Stewart b P.J.Loader 14 69 1 0 1 0 176-9d 1 c W.S.Surridge b E.A.Bedser 5 188 9 1 24 1 T.H.Clark c R.J.Hurst 84-3 461. Middlesex v Kent, Lord’s, August 15, 16, 17 (Middlesex won by an innings and 73 runs) c A.E.Fagg b A.L.Dixon 101 304-5d 110 121 462. Middlesex v Surrey, Lord’s, August 18, 20, 21 (Surrey won by 71 runs) c P.B.H.May b E.A.Bedser 2 63 113 1 lbw b G.A.R.Lock 17 137 158-9d 2 463. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Kennington Oval, August 23, 24, 25, (27), 28 (Match drawn) c A.K.Davidson b R.G.Archer 94 247 202 not out 35 182-3d 27-5 464. Players v Gentlemen, Scarborough, September 1, 3, 4 (Players won by seven wickets) st M.E.L.Melluish b D.J.Insole 1 344-8d 5 0 28 2 W.J.Edrich c M.R.Hallam 342-9d J.F.Pretlove c G.Barker st M.E.L.Melluish b J.J.Warr 29 185-3 10 3 28 3 A.C.Walton b 184 2 J.F.Pretlove b S.Singh c F.H.Tyson 465. T.N.Pearce’s XI v Australians, Scarborough, September 5, 6, 7 (Australians won by five wickets) c K.R.Miller b R.Benaud 45 272-9d 280-7d 1 c R.Benaud b I.W.Johnson 10 200-7d 193-5 49