Richard Owen Collinge is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 35 Tests and 15 ODIs. He was New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1971. At 6ft 5ins, Richard Collinge was a menacing prospect for any batsman. He approached the wicket off a notoriously lengthy, long-striding run, hands clawing the air. He bowled left-arm fast-medium deliveries of consistent accuracy, at a length full enough to make good use of any swing.

Collinge played domestic cricket for three different sides. He made his first class debut for Central Districts in 1963/64 and played for them until 1969/70 before moving to Wellington from 1967/68 to 1974/75 and finally Northern Districts till 1977/78. In 163 first class matches he took 524 wickets, with a best of 8/64, at an average of 24.41. A committed family man, he could be a reluctant tourist, but he was almost always an automatic selection when available.

A tall, strongly-built man, Collinge bowled left arm fast medium, ending his long run with both arms stretching upwards before delivering the ball. His height and strength made him an opponent to be respected, though he was seldom genuinely fast. He pitched the ball up and relied on late movement. He was a good foil for the often wild express pace of the young Richard Hadlee and was instrumental in helping Hadlee bring New Zealand's first Test victory over England in 1977-8, with figures of 3/42 and 3/45.

If Geoff Boycott was cricket's immovable object, Richard Collinge was the irresistible force. They collided on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Wellington's Basin Reserve, 47 years ago, and the man they called ‘Rock’ crashed through Boycott's defence to send New Zealand hurtling towards their first test win over England. Stand-in skipper Boycott spent 442 minutes compiling 77 in his first dig. In the chase he faced just six deliveries before the giant left-armer fired a full one at leg stump and, in a puff of dust, shattered Boycott's castle. The fast inswinger with which he bowled Geoff Boycott at Wellington began England's collapse to 64 all out and brought the crowd to fever pitch. Hadlee snared 10 for the match and took the final scalp, Bob Willis caught at gully by Geoff Howarth on a chilly, grey fifth morning. Boycott had batted seven or eight hours in the first innings. If he stuck around he would have just ground it out. To get him early on was a bonus and it just opened the floodgates. England required just 137 to win the three-test series opener, without their regular captain Mike Brearley who'd suffered a broken arm in Pakistan. If there was a leading contender for a New Zealand's 'ball of the 20th century', this was it. A big crowd, granted free entry, roared and Hadlee led the scramble for souvenir stumps, marking New Zealand's first win over the old enemy in 48 years and 48 tests of rivalry. It was entirely appropriate that the modest, calm stalwart Collinge should have a strong hand in one of his country's finest hours.

Collinge made his Test debut in 1965 and played his last match at Lord's in 1978. His best Test and One Day International bowling figures were both against India in 1975/76, with 6/63 and 5/23 respectively. At the time of his retirement, he was New Zealand's greatest wicket-taker, with 116 wickets at 29.25 each, despite missing many matches during his 13-year test career.

He could also be a useful batsman. At Auckland in 1972/73, Collinge scored 68 not out for New Zealand against Pakistan; this was the highest score ever made by a number 11 in a Test match at the time. Opener Rodney Redmond had already sealed his place in New Zealand cricket immortality by scoring a hundred, in what turned out to be his only test, but New Zealand were still a long way behind after legspinner Intikhab Alam took six quick wickets. The Eden Park wicket was flat and while unpredictable opening bowler Sarfraz Nawaz bowled the odd bumper down to Collinge. That innings played by Collinge also formed part of the record last-wicket stand in Tests: 151 put on with Brian Hastings in 155 minutes. For 31 years he held test cricket's record for the highest score by a No 11 batsman, until India's Zaheer Khan took that from him in July 2013.