Going into the second test against Sri Lanka at Durham, the spotlight will be on batsman Nick Compton to perform and finally leave a lasting impression. Compton has been perceived as the weak link in England’s batting lineup as the right-hander hasn’t yet played a big innings since his comeback to the side. His outing in the first test was simply dreadful as he was dismissed for a duck, caught in the slips.
Compton had a moderately successful series against South Africa away from home, and he began that tour on a positive note with a knock of 85. Since the first test against the Proteas, Compton’s form has faded away in no time. The English selectors showed faith in the batsman by retaining him for the series against Sri Lanka. But Compton himself in a recent interaction admitted that time was running out for him quickly.
“You’ve got to score runs. It all comes down to the weight of runs and performance. I’ve just got to do it better,” said Compton. “We can talk beyond that about certain things but, fundamentally, if I do my job as well as I can and score the runs I know I can, I can contribute to this England team.” Compton also drew comparisons in the different batting styles of individuals and added, “The way the game’s going, I think people are drawn towards a certain glamour.” “Some players provide that and people want to see more of that.
“That’s great, we’re in the entertainment business. It’s about getting bums on seats and I suppose watching Ben Stokes’ 200 is better than watching Compton’s 80. If I’m honest with you, if I was sitting on the couch I’d rather watch Brian Lara, or my late grandfather, or Stokes. That’s what people want to see. I’m by no means unaware of that. “When you look at it, my job is possibly a little bit tougher, it’s quite an intense role. The new ball is tough when you go in there and the way that I play doesn’t always look that pretty. But I feel like I have made the best of what I’ve been given,” Compton said.