Last week I blogged about Alex Loudon and Old Etonian cricketers. Now it's the turn of old rivals Harrow but this time it has nothing to do with Royal Weddings. My County Player of the Week is Old Harrovian Nick Compton.
As a youngster he must have had it all. Grandson of the England legend Denis Compton, brought up in posh part of South Africa, brilliant at tennis, football, hockey and golf but with his pedigree, it had to be cricket as a career. Coming to England, he represented his adopted country at Under-19 level but never really made the grade at his grandad's county of Middlesex. Last season he switched to Somerset as a replacement for Justin Langer, but they were big shoes to fill. A tall elegant player, 27 year-old Nick never gives the impression of true class, seemingly scoring very slowly and rarely reaching three figures. However, appearances can be deceptive. His one-day batting average is above 40 and boasts a T20 strike rate of 111, while in first-class cricket his record is more moderate. That's why his excellent 254 not out last week against Durham was such a landmark. Marcus Trescothick made the early running but it was Compton who steered Somerset to a potentially match-winning 600+ total and increasing his average by a full two points!
Now it's off to Guyana for my other Player of the Week. West Indies may be celebrating their first Test victory for two years, thanks largely to the bowling of Bishoo, Rampaul and Sammy. However, the star man of the game was Pakistan's spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose 11 wickets still weren't enough to secure a win. At 33, he should be nearing the end of his international career yet his Test debut was under two years ago. Like many spinners emerging in recent years, it is in Twenty20 that he has enjoyed most success. 88 wickets in 66 matches at an average of 17 and economy rate well below 7 an over indicate an aptitude for hitting the spot and getting batsmen frustrated. These should also be handy skills for longer formats and he could be a useful replacement for the likes of Saqlain Mushtaq who, surprisingly, is only a year older. Mohammad Hafeez has also developed his spin bowling to accompany his role as opening batsman but as long as Saeed Ajmal continues to skittle opposition Test batsmen, he ought to be Pakistan's number one spinner for a few more years.
