Dave Collins
Author: John Huband
Date: 21/09/2023
It is with great sadness that Stourbridge Cricket Club announces that former player Dave Collins died on Monday evening at the care home in which he had been resident for eighteen months having previously developed Dementia.
Dave joined Stourbridge around 1961 as a schoolboy and, from 1965 onwards, was first team wicketkeeper and played with some of the best Test Match players, notably Glenn Turner in 1967 and Imran Khan in 1971 and 1972.
He served the club with distinction as Player, Captain, Treasurer and Coach over a period of 30 years.
As Coach he was instrumental in the development of the many Stourbridge players who became professional cricketers. Philip Whitticase, Stuart Lampitt, Gavin Haynes, Chris Tolley and Jonathan Wright all benefited from his dedication to improving young players.
His contribution to the club’s successes such as National Knock Out winners in 1986, the triple Birmingham and District League Championships in 1987 and the Championship again in 1989 was immense.
Dave’s contribution to Worcestershire cricket and coach education even surpasses those achievements. As Worcestershire under 19 Coach from 1983 onwards he helped many players and the winning of the Oxford Festival was his personal highlight. The record of successes that his Worcestershire representative teams attained is without equal and his assistant coaches were, at various times, outstanding Birmingham League players, Bernard Rowley, Keith Wilkinson and Tony Lea, all of whom held Dave in high esteem.
His organisation of Coach Education courses was thorough and the course content was delivered with passion and knowledge. At least a thousand candidates would have qualified via the courses that he ran in Worcestershire and across the Midlands and the respect that he attained led to him being elected Chair of the ECB Midlands Regional Coaching organisation.
Dave left Stourbridge in the 1990’s for a brief spell as 2nd XI Captain and Coach at West Bromwich Dartmouth but later returned. He then coached at King Edwards School Birmingham for fourteen years and concluded his club coaching with a successful period at Himley Cricket Club.
Dave joined Stourbridge around 1961 as a schoolboy and, from 1965 onwards, was first team wicketkeeper and played with some of the best Test Match players, notably Glenn Turner in 1967 and Imran Khan in 1971 and 1972.
He served the club with distinction as Player, Captain, Treasurer and Coach over a period of 30 years.
As Coach he was instrumental in the development of the many Stourbridge players who became professional cricketers. Philip Whitticase, Stuart Lampitt, Gavin Haynes, Chris Tolley and Jonathan Wright all benefited from his dedication to improving young players.
His contribution to the club’s successes such as National Knock Out winners in 1986, the triple Birmingham and District League Championships in 1987 and the Championship again in 1989 was immense.
Dave’s contribution to Worcestershire cricket and coach education even surpasses those achievements. As Worcestershire under 19 Coach from 1983 onwards he helped many players and the winning of the Oxford Festival was his personal highlight. The record of successes that his Worcestershire representative teams attained is without equal and his assistant coaches were, at various times, outstanding Birmingham League players, Bernard Rowley, Keith Wilkinson and Tony Lea, all of whom held Dave in high esteem.
His organisation of Coach Education courses was thorough and the course content was delivered with passion and knowledge. At least a thousand candidates would have qualified via the courses that he ran in Worcestershire and across the Midlands and the respect that he attained led to him being elected Chair of the ECB Midlands Regional Coaching organisation.
Dave left Stourbridge in the 1990’s for a brief spell as 2nd XI Captain and Coach at West Bromwich Dartmouth but later returned. He then coached at King Edwards School Birmingham for fourteen years and concluded his club coaching with a successful period at Himley Cricket Club.