Man of the Moment: Nick Compton

With Marcus Trescothick injured and likely to miss much of the season, Somerset desperately need their other batsmen to step up and provide the runs the captain would surely have made. So far this season, Nick Compton has certainly fulfilled his part of the bargain in the County Championship. In his five matches played so far, including a friendly against Glamorgan and the first-class game against the Cardiff students, Compton has compiled more than 800 runs, including two double-centuries, two 'singles' and a 99. Understandably, this sort of runfest has brought him to the attention of the England Lions selectors although it means that Somerset will lose his services next month during the Lions' game against West Indies. Indeed, the county already has a desperate injury crisis which makes their chances of winning a trophy almost impossible. Traditionally, having a famous name helps a cricketer get on in England circles, especially if the connection is with Surrey, Middlesex or Kent. Dexters and Cowdreys inevitably catch the eye but now a Compton has shown his hand. The surprise is that it has taken Nick so long. He was never really consistent for Middlesex and I raised a quizzical eyebrow when Somerset secured his services a few years ago. In a fine batting line-up I couldn't see where he fitted in. However, with Langer and De Bruyn departed, the Durban-born grandson of England legend Denis lived up to his name in 2011, and now 2012 could be even better for him as his first-class career average advances into the 40s. Where his record falters somewhat is in the Twenty20 format. With Somerset likely to lose the mouthwatering opening pair of both Trescothick and Chris Gayle for the summer's competition, Compton will surely be needed to play. Averaging under 20 and with a strike rate of only 111, he is not ideally suited to the biff-bang stuff. He could, though, hold up one end while Kieswetter, Trego, Hildreth and Buttler plunder boundaries. Actually his 50-over stats aren't too bad, so maybe this isn't too much of an ask for Nick, although with only 120 balls per innings, he still needs to score quickly. Promotion to the Lions isn't always a sure path to success. Somerset colleague Hildreth was a very successful captain for the touring team a few winters ago but a mediocre season for his county pushed him out of the running for an England place, and he was supplanted by James Taylor. Time will tell for Nick Compton but - and forgive my selfishness - for Somerset's sake, I hope he plays poorly for the Lions and maintains his prolific form for the county!