David ‘Syd’ Lawrence, former England cricketer, dies aged 61 – The Guardian

Lawrence took 18 wickets in five Tests for England
He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease
Colleagues and former teammates of David “Syd” Lawrence have paid tribute to the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler after he died on Saturday of motor neurone disease.
Phil Tufnell described Lawrence as “a great man and a great friend” and Richard Thompson, the England and Wales Cricket Board chair, called him “a true trailblazer and a man of immense courage, character and compassion”.
Tufnell, who played alongside Lawrence in three of his five Tests, told the BBC’s Test Match Special: “He was a great man, Syd, a fierce competitor. He was a sight to behold, coming in with the ball in hand: a great big fella, all arms and legs and determination. He was a very intimidating sight but with a very soft, warm heart. He had a great sense of humour. He would literally walk into a room and just fill the room with smiles and laughter and stories. He always sort of looked after the underdog. God, he got me out of a few scrapes!”
Mark Ramprakash, another former England teammate, said: “He was a ferocious competitor. He absolutely tore in and it was just maximum effort every ball, so you really had to be on your wits when facing him. It was power, just power. He had to bowl quick, and he had to run in and give it everything. And he was just so well liked by everyone as well. Everyone loved Syd. It was that infectious enthusiasm that he had – he was just a good, honest bloke. I found him great fun to be around.”
At Headingley, where England are playing India in the first of five Tests, both teams emerged for a minute’s applause before the start of play in black armbands after Lawrence’s death had been announced on Sunday morning.
“He was a true trailblazer of English cricket and a man of immense courage, character and compassion,” Thompson said. “His impact on the game extended far beyond the boundary ropes. As a fast bowler, he thrilled crowds with his pace and passion. As a leader and advocate, he broke barriers and inspired change, becoming a powerful voice for inclusion and representation in our sport.
“Even in the face of his illness, David showed extraordinary strength and dignity, continuing to uplift others with his resilience and spirit. He leaves behind a legacy that will endure in the hearts of all who love cricket.”
Lawrence’s career was effectively ended when he broke his left kneecap while playing for England against New Zealand in 1992. “I was 12th man for that tour, and I was watching from the balcony and saw what happened,” Ramprakash said. “That was absolutely horrific and will stay with me, seeing such a fierce competitor and a really tough guy in that situation.”
He fought for five years to resurrect his playing career but managed only four more senior games, all in 1997, before retiring having spent his entire professional career at Gloucestershire. He remained involved with them and became club president in 2022. “Because of the nature of [MND] you know it’s going to happen at some stage, but it’s still a shock,” Peter Matthews, Gloucestershire’s chair, told the BBC.
“He always gave everything. He was a brilliant cricketer. He broke down barriers, he was so obviously himself, he exuded confidence but obviously he was a really genuine man alongside that confidence. He was a wonderful president. While of course his body was failing him, the tragedy in some respects of motor neurone disease is that the brain doesn’t fail you, so he was always there to give ideas and provide insight to me as a relatively new chair.”
Neil Priscott, the club’s chief executive, said Lawrence had become “an icon for this club on the field and off it”, and that he “brought life, that energy and that infectious spirit, in his presidency in day one”.
Priscott said: “We all got to truly know and love him as our president. He was passionate about the power of cricket and how our sport can touch people’s lives. Syd pushed us to reach out to communities far and wide and we shall continue to do that in his honour.”
At Gloucestershire’s final game before his death, the T20 Blast victory against Hampshire on Friday, the team wore one-off pink shirts with the evening branded Pink4Syd, raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Lawrence died on Global MND Awareness Day.
“Syd was a titan of English sport; a trailblazer in the truest sense of the word, setting the cricketing world alight with his larger-than-life character and his immense talent,” said Richard Evans, the director of engagement at the MND Association.
“When he was diagnosed with MND last summer his determination and strength of spirit shone through, inspiring him to share his story and raise awareness of MND. Events organised in Syd’s name have also helped to raise thousands of pounds to support the association’s work, for which we will be forever grateful.”

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