Colin Wilson, who was also well known in the area for spending his entire working life at the Southampton car auctions, has died, aged 83.
The West End resident also once spent a season on the Hampshire Cricket ground staff and, while studying at Taunton’s Grammar School, trialled with Saints at The Dell.
READ MORE: World premiere of new music dedicated to memory of beloved band leader
A powerful, hard hitting top order batsman and accomplished wicketkeeper, Colin stood up to every bowler, however fast, and such was his reputation behind the stumps that he was selected for the Club Cricket Conference tour to Australia in 1975/76. In those days, it was extremely rare for any cricketer outside London to be picked for such a prestigious tour.
Colin’s role at the car auctions prevented him from playing any competitive cricket on a Saturday, but alongside the Touring Club, he plied his hard hitting trade for Road Sea in the then powerful Southampton midweek evening cricket league.
Tauntons had produced a plethora of top sportsmen over many years and Colin Wilson was among them, excelling at basketball and football, and going on to become a quality wing-half with Dryads in the City of Southampton Sunday League.
Equally good on a squash court, Colin then turned his ball skills to golf and soon became a leading member at Stoneham Golf Club, where he played in numerous pro-am tournaments and where his competitive nature once again came to the fore.
He played latterly at East Horton Golf Club, where huge numbers of friends, former teammates and rivals from all his many sporting adventures congregated for the final farewell to a truly outstanding local sportsman whose brave fight against cancer typified his competitive nature in sport.