by Abhishek Mukherjee

With 114 and 2/5 for Elementary Schools, Denis Compton caught the eye of Plum Warner at 14. He played for Young Professionals by 16, Middlesex 2nd XI by 17, and in the County Championship shortly after his 18th birthday. This incident took place that day.

Sussex scored 185 (Compton took a wicket and a catch). Despite his reputation, Compton was scheduled to bat at 11. He eventually emerged at 162/9. They needed those 24 runs to get the 5 first-innings points.

Middlesex trailed by 23. They needed to go past Sussex’s score to get those 5 points.

Compton greeted Gubby Allen, his captain and non-striker, with the customary "yes, Sir". Tate, who had taken six wickets till then, beat Compton twice, but the debutant responded with a four. He soon reached 14 to help Middlesex secure a 13-run lead.

Now Harry Parks, whom Compton had dimissed earlier, rapped Compton on the pads; and Billy Bestwick ruled him out, leg-before.

It was a terrible decision. Allen protested and demanded a reason – an act he would certainly have been penalised for today.

But if Bestwick's explanation was so incredible that Allen did not drag it further. It was an emergency: had he not closed the innings at that point, Bestwick explained, his bladder might have burst.

This day, 1936.

*

While the story is certainly true, Compton himself had mentioned Bill Reeves as the umpire in End of Innings. However, while talking to Tim Heald for his authorised biography, Compton mentioned Bestwick. The official scorecard has Bestwick and Ernest Cooke as the umpires.

Just a demonstration of how player memories are not always trustworthy, especially after a long time.We do not remember every detail of our professional life, do we?