Roy Collins, an aggressive lower middle-order batsman and offspinner, forced his way intothe Lancashire side in 1954 after impressing in the Lancashire Cricket Federation. Over the next nine season he played 119 times for the county, scoring 3332 runs at 20.44 and taking 159 wickets at 30.07.

His best season came in 1961 when he took 52 wickets, including a career-best 6 for 63 against Sussex, and made 858 runs, another career high, including both his first-class hundreds. He was awarded his county cap after making an unbeaten 107 against Somerset at Bath in August of that year.

In 1962, his last summer at the county, he hit 25 sixes but his career finished just as one-day cricket, in which he would have found a niche, came into being.

After leaving Old Trafford he played league cricket for Leek in the Staffordshire League for four years and from there to Lowerhouse in the Lancashire League for three seasons, then Blackburn in the Ribblesdale League for four years, and finally Rochdale. He also played Minor County cricket for Cheshire.

Away from the game he ran a textile business with his wife and continued to be an enthusiastic supporter of the county as well as coaching and advising schools and clubs.
Martin Williamson