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Cape Town - England batsman Nick Compton is eager to face the Proteas in the first Test starting in Durban on December 26.
The 32-year-old, whose grandfather Denis averaged over 50 in Test cricket, played nine times as an opener for England between 2012 and 2013, scoring 479 runs at an average of 31.93.
After two years out of the side, Compton has been included for the tour of South Africa, and scored a half-century in the opening game against a South African Invitational XI.
While he is delighted to be back on the international scene, Compton does not feel he needs to make any significant changes to his game.
“I think being quite intense out in the middle is a good way to be, I think most batsmen are,” he told the ECB’s official website.
“It’s a lot to do with form and how you’re doing out in the middle and I’m going to go out there and apply myself in a fairly similar way.
“You know what it’s like - you get a few runs, you get a score and suddenly you kick on.
“It’s very easy to come back away from that previous experience and think that I’m going to make lots of changes.
“Of course I’m a few years older, a bit more experienced, and what will be, will be.
“I have done the hard work now, it’s a case of just getting my head down and watching the ball however they come.”
Compton, who is expected to compete with Gary Ballance for
the No 3 slot, believes his game would be well suited to an England line-up
featuring stroke-players Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow.
After the first Test in Durban, there are three more scheduled - Cape Town (January 2-6), Johannesburg (January 14-18) and Centurion (January 22-26).
