Nick Compton: Middlesex and Ex-England batsman retires from playing

Nick Compton celebrates a century for England
Nick Compton scored two centuries for England, which came in successive Tests against New Zealand in March 2013

Former England batsman Nick Compton has announced his retirement.

The 35-year-old right-hander played 16 Tests between November 2012 and June 2016, scoring 775 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 28.70.

He made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 2004 and spent five years with Somerset before rejoining the north London club at the end of 2014.

Compton, a regular pundit on BBC Radio 5 live, did not feature for the Lord's side during the 2018 campaign.

"The pinnacle of my career was following in my grandfather Denis Compton's footsteps, having achieved my dream of playing and winning Test series for England," he told the Middlesex website.external-link

"I am particularly proud of our series victory in India [in 2012], the first time in 28 years an England team had won in India.

"There have been some challenges that I have had to confront, but in spite of these I feel incredibly fortunate.

"Winning the County Championship at Lord's on the final day of the 2016 season for Middlesex provided all involved with an experience that we will savour for the rest of our lives."

South Africa-born Compton scored 6,777 runs in 199 appearances for Middlesex in all formats of the game during his two spells with the club, and ends his career with 12,168 first-class runs at an average of 40.42.

He scored 27 first-class centuries and a further 59 half-centuries, with a top score of 254 not out for Somerset against Durham in May 2011.

Compton took a six-week break from the game in June 2016 after a disappointing Test series against Sri Lanka, in which he scored just 51 runs in five innings, and did not feature for the national side again.

The last appearances of his professional career came for Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club in a List A match in Colombo in March this year.