David Collins (New Zealand cricketer)

Dr David Charles Collins (1 October 1887 – 2 January 1967) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played 53 first-class matches between 1905–06 and 1926–27, the bulk of these being for Wellington in New Zealand and Cambridge University in England; he won a blue for Cambridge and headed their batting averages in 1910.[1]

Collins was educated at Wellington College, Wellington, before going on to Trinity College, Cambridge.[2] In 1912 he became the first Cambridge student for more than 40 years to win blues at both cricket and rowing.[3] After completing his studies at Cambridge, he returned to New Zealand, where his most successful cricketing years were with Wellington in the 1920s. It was during this decade that he scored four of his six first-class centuries, including the largest (and his last), 172 against Auckland in the 1924–25 Plunket Shield.[4]

Collins represented New Zealand during the MCC tour of 1922–23. At Christchurch he scored 102,[5] while at the Basin Reserve, as captain, he hit a second-innings 69.[6]

His father William Collins and his uncle John Collins had brief first-class careers. His cousin A. E. J. Collins held the world batting record for 116 years to January 2016 for his innings of 628 not out.[7] His daughter Susie Collins was the New Zealand women's golf champion in the 1930s.[8]