Denis Compton: a versatile and masterful sportsperson
Denis Compton was a legendary English sportsman who played multiple sports including cricket. In the 1944-45 Ranji Final, the star cricketer played to his might to cash in on a promised fortune. However, his would-be benefactor had other plans!
Compton was not just a sporting icon, but a bona fide superstar of his time. He scored over 5000 test runs for England at an average of 50+. An accomplished footballer, he won the FA Cup for Arsenal FC. He was also one of the few overseas cricketers to have played in the Ranji Trophy.
In 1944-45, Compton was posted in Indore (erstwhile Holkar state) as a sergeant-major in the British Army. Former Indian captain CK Nayudu convinced him to play for the Holkar cricket team in the Ranji Trophy that year. Compton’s army duties did not allow him to play regularly. However, he did turn up when it mattered the most — top scoring with 81 against Madras in the semifinal. And again, in the final, during which he was promised money for every run he would score.
The final, against a star-studded Bombay, was a timeless match — meaning play would go on until a winner was decided. Bombay took a sizable 102-run first innings lead before notching up a monumental 764 in the second.
In reply, Holkar got off to a poor start, but Compton was determined to fight. With Syed Mushtaq Ali, Compton put on a sizzling 209 run partnership.
A tempting yet elusive reward
During one of the breaks, a rich Holkar businessman named Seth Hiralal went up to Compton and made a rather tempting offer. “It is a very important match for our locality,” he is quoted to have said as he promised Compton ₹100 for every run he made after crossing his hundred. Compton knew he could make a fortune. In his own words, he told himself, “You may as well spend the next hour and more working for your pension.” He went on to score 249 not out!
After Holkar were bowled out, Compton, eager to collect the promised and hard-fought fortune, went looking for Seth Hiralal. Unfortunately, all Compton found was an envelope marked ‘Personal and Very Urgent’ and reading: “Sorry, I have been called to Calcutta on a very urgent business."
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