Roy Virgin

Infobox Recent cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
name = Roy Virgin
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Right-arm leg-break (occ WK)
FCs = 437
FC runs = 21930
FC bat avg = 29.87
FC 100s/50s = 37/99
FC top score = 179*
FC balls = 426
FC wickets = 4
FC bowl avg = 85.00
FC 5s = -
FC 10s = -
FC best bowling = 1-6
FC catches/stumpings = 415/0
List As = 170
List A runs = 3755
List A bat avg = 24.54
List A 100s/50s = 4/22
List A top score = 123*
List A balls = 8
List A wickets = 1
List A bowl avg = 5.00
List A 5s = -
List A 10s = -
List A best bowling = 1-1
List A catches/stumpings = 67/0
debut date = 29 May
debut year = 1957
last date = 7 September
last year = 1977
source = http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/3/3872/3872.html CricketArchive

Roy Thomas Virgin, born at Taunton, Somerset, on August 26, 1939, was a cricketer who played for Somerset and Northamptonshire.

A right-handed opening batsman, Virgin had a mostly unspectacular career in first-class cricket, but for two individual seasons, one for each of his two counties, he looked as good as any opening batsman in county cricket and was mentioned as a possible Test player.

Virgin played first for Somerset in 1957 and was a regular as an opening batsman in 1960, when he scored 1,453 runs at a respectable average of 25 runs per innings. He reappeared in 1963 after National Service and was a regular in the Somerset side for the rest of the 1960s, usually scoring his 1,000 runs a season but only once averaging more than 30 runs an innings.

But then, suddenly, in 1970, Virgin's batting moved into a different league. Revealing a wider range of shots than before, he scored fast and prolifically, with 2,223 runs at an average of 47 in the season, including seven centuries. He was talked of as a possible England opener and was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1971 edition of the almanack. The 1971 season was another successful year for Virgin, but in 1972 his runmaking fell away badly, and he left Somerset at the end of the season.

The parting was not amicable. Virgin had to wait half a season before he could make his County Championship debut in 1973 for Northamptonshire and then he had limited success. But in 1974, he had a second season of high achievement: 1,936 runs at an average of almost 57 runs per innings meant that he was fifth in the national averages. Again, he was talked of as a potential England player; again it did not happen.

Virgin was appointed as captain of Northamptonshire in 1975, but resigned in August, saying that the captaincy was affecting his batting. He barely made his 1,000 runs that season, but recovered to average 34 in the 1976 season. He scored 145 in a fourth wicket stand of 370 against Somerset at Northampton with Peter Willey that remains the county record for that wicket. But after a less successful season in 1977 he retired to take up a business appointment.

Early in his career, Virgin occasionally acted as wicketkeeper in first-class matches, and he continued to do so occasionally in one-day matches throughout his career. More often, he was a reliable catcher in the slips and his 42 catches for Somerset in 1966 remains the county record.

Virgin married a woman called Ann and had 3 children (Steve, Dave and Andy) and five grandchildren (Heather, Hayley, Matt, Arran and Olivia). He has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. (Brian, Sid, Maureen and Helen)