Ben Compton reaches 1,000 red-ball runs before June as County Select XI beat New Zealand

Compton, who made his Kent debut at the start of the season and came into 2022 without a first-class century to his name, made 119 for the Select XI

A County Select XI completed a surprise win over the New Zealand tourists at Chelmsford on Sunday afternoon, with Ben Compton reaching the landmark of 1,000 red-ball runs before the end of May.

The game did not classify as first-class, so Compton has not officially matched the figure last made by Graeme Hick in 1988 of 1,000 first-class runs before June.

Compton, who made his Kent debut at the start of the season and came into 2022 without a first-class century to his name, made 119 for the Select XI.

Captained by Dom Sibley, they chased 264 just three wickets down after Jamie Porter's five-wicket haul on Saturday had seen the tourists dismissed cheaply.

At one stage, New Zealand were 9 for 5, in their second innings with Kane Williamson – who arrived in the country after his teammates – caught at slip for a nine-ball duck.

^{New Zealand used nine bowlers in England's second innings (Jacques Feeney/Getty Images)}

Sibley then fell for 34 on Saturday evening and Tom Haines departed early on Sunday.

But Compton, who has now hit seven first-team hundreds since January, did what he has done for much of the last two months, occupying the crease and ticking along. He made 878 runs in the first tranche of County Championship matches.

He faced 262 balls before being bowled as he looked to sweep Ajaz Patel, who took two of the three wickets to fall. Nick Gubbins was unbeaten on 67, with Ryan Patel – the Surrey opener – hitting the winning runs from No.5.