[3] He first played for Middlesex in 1850, debuting for the county in first-class matches against Surrey.
[3] He also made first-class appearances for several other teams, including the Players in the Gentlemen v Players match, for the South in the North v South fixture and for a United England Eleven amongst others.
His four appearances for Middlesex were sporadic and spread over a period of twelve years,[3] with his final appearance coming just two years before the formation of Middlesex County Cricket Club.
It was for the MCC that he played the vast majority of his first-class matches for, making a total of 51 appearances between 1843–61.
[5] His appearances in club cricket continued into the 1850s and early 1860s, demonstrating that Royston was a sought after player, with him making guest appearances for the personal teams of many leading cricket figures of the day, including Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst, Robert Grimston and Roger Kynaston.