David Lawrence (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
David Valentine Lawrence (nicknamed Syd) (born 28 January 1964, Gloucester
, England
) is a former English
cricket
er, who played in five Tests
and one ODI for England from 1988 to 1992.
Lawrence was a wholehearted, powerfully-built fast bowler
, before a horrific knee injury curtailed his career.
n parents, by the age of 17 he was playing for Gloucestershire
, opening the bowling with Courtney Walsh
. His bowling action generated great pace, although at times he could also be wholly inaccurate.
He came into the England team for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka in 1988, but did not force his way back until 1991, when he took five wickets and contributed to England's series-levelling win in the Fifth Test against the West Indies at The Oval
. However, having just established himself as his country's spearhead, he suffered an appalling knee injury on 10 February 1992, in Wellington
, New Zealand
, while playing for his country. In his delivery stride, his left patella (knee cap) shattered, the noise reaching as far as the boundary; spectators said the sound of his knee splitting was "like a pistol shot". Despite two come-back attempts for his county, including the first after thirteen months of recuperation, when the knee cracked again during a gymnasium work-out, he never played for England again. He was 28 years old when he suffered the injury.
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a former English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played in five Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and one ODI for England from 1988 to 1992.
Lawrence was a wholehearted, powerfully-built fast bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
, before a horrific knee injury curtailed his career.
Life and career
Born in England to JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n parents, by the age of 17 he was playing for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
, opening the bowling with Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
. His bowling action generated great pace, although at times he could also be wholly inaccurate.
He came into the England team for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka in 1988, but did not force his way back until 1991, when he took five wickets and contributed to England's series-levelling win in the Fifth Test against the West Indies at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. However, having just established himself as his country's spearhead, he suffered an appalling knee injury on 10 February 1992, in Wellington
Basin Reserve
The Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, while playing for his country. In his delivery stride, his left patella (knee cap) shattered, the noise reaching as far as the boundary; spectators said the sound of his knee splitting was "like a pistol shot". Despite two come-back attempts for his county, including the first after thirteen months of recuperation, when the knee cracked again during a gymnasium work-out, he never played for England again. He was 28 years old when he suffered the injury.