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Ben Compton is eager to enhance his T20 game - but not at the risk of what has worked so well this year in the longer formats.
Compton capped an incredible 2022 season, winning three awards at Kent's end-of-season awards night.
The opener had already scored more than 1,000 County Championship Division 1 runs by July and also helped Kent Spitfires’ to Royal London One-Day Cup glory.
Compton, 28, will soon travel to Zimbabwe for a second successive winter. A resolute batsman, rather than an aggressive one, T20 cricket isn’t his natural game but it's one he’s interested in trying his hand at.
His primary focus over there will be to play in the Logan Cup - a four-day competition - but he’s also keen to try his hand at the shortest format of the game as, and when, the opportunity arises.
He said: “Who doesn’t want to play all three formats?
“I think the T20 side (of his game) is something I want to try and build. I don’t want it to take away from my 50-over and four-day play but it’s a way to develop.
“T20 cricket is becoming more and more prominent.
“I haven’t played any T20 cricket at first-class level so it’s a blank canvas for me to explore a bit. We will see what happens next year.”
Compton represented the Mountaineers last year and will be doing so again.
“I’m going to play some first-class cricket in Zimbabwe until about February. I will be playing some first-class cricket and, hopefully, some T20s if I can,” he said.
“I’ll be playing some four-day cricket to build-up into next season.
“I have enjoyed my break. It’s been a long season but I’m ready to head back out there in about three weeks’ time.”
In the County Championship, he scored 1,193 runs at an average of 54.22.
His fine debut campaign was enough for him to be crowned Kent’s player-of-the-year, claiming 35.9% of the total votes, while he also won men’s batter-of-the-year and the players’ player-of-the-year gongs at the recent event at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury.
“It was a cracking evening,” said the Durban-born man, who will be heading into the second year of his two-year deal next summer.
“For me to be chosen… chuffed doesn’t do it justice!
“I’m quite an understated guy, I don’t really like the spotlight, but I was, obviously, thrilled to make some really good contributions this year and show the staff at Kent the jobs I can do for them.
“The players’ player-of-the-year award, and equally getting player-of-the-year, was quite special.
"It’s a huge honour.”
But Compton wasn’t the only player celebrating on the night.
Bowler Nathan Gilchrist won young player-of-the-year and bowler-of-the-year, experienced batting all-rounder Joe Denly was crowned Spitfires One-Day player-of-the-season, off-spinner Hamid Qadri was named emerging player-of-the-year and fielder-of-the-year went to Alex Blake.
Discussing the other award winners, the batsman said: “Joe was brilliant in our 50-over games. He had some very good innings’ in the T20s as well.
“Hamid Qadri did really well, particularly in the 50-over competition. He sort of became our frontline spinner.
“Nathan Gilchrist is someone everybody knows has an abundance of talent. It was really nice to see him finish in such a strong manner.
"He bowled really well most of the summer but, maybe sometimes, didn’t (always) get the wickets he deserved.”
Compton felt their final victory at Trent Bridge against Lancashire was a fitting swansong for departing all-rounder Darren Stevens.
“It was a great way for him to bow out at Kent Cricket,” he said.
Of course, things will be harder next time around for Compton. He no longer is an unknown quantity and sides will hope to find weaknesses within his game they can target.
“That doesn’t bother me at all,” he insisted.
“My preparations will be the same in terms of being as ready as I can be.”
While Compton’s debut season in Kent’s first-team was, undoubtedly, a huge success, he scored four County Championship tons - albeit three of which came in their first two matches - as victories over Hampshire and Somerset saw Kent eventually finish fifth in Division 1.
He said: “Obviously I was delighted with that start. I got 50 or more in the first seven games.
“Opening the batting, you will not get 100 every innings.
"My job is to blunt the attack, I think I did that well.”
