David ‘Syd' Lawrence, former England cricketer, dies aged 61
David 'Syd' Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer to play for England, has died at the age of 61.
It was revealed almost exactly a year ago that Lawrence, who took 18 wickets in five Tests for England between 1988 and 1992, was the latest sportsperson to be diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The announcement was in the same month ex-England and Leeds rugby league great Rob Burrow died after a long battle with the incurable illness, which progressively damages parts of the nervous system.
A statement from Lawrence's family read: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE following his brave battle with motor neurone disease. 'Syd' was an inspirational figure on and off the cricket field and no more so than to his family who were with him when he passed.
'A proud Gloucestershire man, Syd took on every challenge with everything he could and his final contest with MND was no different. His willingness to encourage and think of others right up to the end was typical of the man he was.'
More details soon …
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Everton close on deal for Fulham right-back Tete
Everton are close to securing a deal to sign Fulham's Dutch right-back Kenny Tete on a free David Moyes has made the position one of his summer priorities after 39-year-old Ashley Young was not offered a new contract, and with veteran captain Seamus Coleman facing an uncertain playing 29, is out of contract at the end of the month and Fulham had been hoping to extend his he has emerged as Everton's main target and negotiations on a three-year deal are advanced for the defender, who has played 14 times for the O'Brien, who was signed from Lyon as a central defender, performed consistently at right-back following Moyes' appointment in January after being ignored by predecessor Sean Dyche, while Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has also been however, was keen to secure proven Premier League pedigree and had been linked with Manchester City's England veteran Kyle Walker, Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters and Vladimir Coufal, who he managed at West Ham Ajax and Lyon man Tete, however, is the preferred option after spending almost five years at Fulham.
South Wales Guardian
28 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
‘Syd' Lawrence: England trailblazer who rocked and rumbled for Gloucestershire
Racially abused by a team-mate as a teenager, Lawrence had the last laugh by, in his own words, 'rocking and rumbling' for Gloucestershire and becoming the first British-born black man to play for England before being cut down in his prime. Lawrence refused to feel sorry for himself and that much was evident when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year, raising money and spreading awareness of the condition which robbed him of his voice and ability to walk before his death, aged 61. Affectionately known as Syd after the British bandleader, Lawrence was born on January 28, 1964, in Gloucester to Jamaican parents, inheriting his love for cricket from his father. He was only 17 when he opened the bowling for Gloucestershire alongside a famous Jamaican in Courtney Walsh although memories of his debut season are soured by a banana being left outside the door of his hotel room by an unnamed peer. 'I just sat in that room thinking: 'I'm a cricketer, what makes me different?'' Lawrence reflected to the Guardian years later. 'Why would somebody want to do that, just because of the colour of my skin?' While he received an unreserved apology from Gloucestershire in 2021, Lawrence initially had to shrug off the incident for fear of being perceived as difficult and he instead channelled any frustration by becoming one of the speediest, if occasionally wayward, operators on the county circuit. A strapping fast bowler, he took 625 wickets in 280 games for Gloucestershire but is just as remembered for his England outings, starting against Sri Lanka in 1988, where he claimed three dismissals. Lawrence waited another three years for his next appearance, claiming 14 wickets in three Tests in 1991, the highlight being a five-for against the West Indies to help England seal a series-levelling win at the Oval, with Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards among his haul. He also made his lone ODI appearance in the same summer but Lawrence's career was halted in its tracks the following year as he badly fractured his left kneecap after falling awkwardly when running into bowl on the final day of a Test against New Zealand in Wellington. His England days were immediately over aged 28 following 18 wickets in five Tests but he made a brief county comeback in 1997, playing four first-class games for Gloucestershire before hanging up his boots – 16 years after he first played professionally. Lawrence became a competitive bodybuilder following his retirement and he was also a nightclub owner in Bristol. He was back in the public eye after detailing his racism experiences in his playing days, before in April 2022 he became Gloucestershire's first black president. Gloucestershire Cricket is devastated to learn of the passing of former player and Club President, David 'Syd' Lawrence MBE, aged 61. Everyone at Gloucestershire Cricket would like to send their best wishes to David's family during this terribly sad time. — Gloucestershire Cricket 🏆 (@Gloscricket) June 22, 2025 Following his MND diagnosis and with Lawrence already confined to a custom-made wheelchair, he was presented with the T20 Blast trophy by James Bracey last September in emotionally charged scenes after Gloucestershire ended a nine-year wait for silverware. Lawrence dictated his own recently-released autobiography, while he received an MBE earlier this month in the King's Birthday Honours for his outstanding services to cricket. 'It is an incredibly proud moment,' he said. 'It is not something that I ever thought would sit after my name, but I am absolutely delighted that it will do so for however long I am here and will be a part of my legacy when I am gone.' Lawrence is survived by wife Gaynor and son Buster, an ex-professional rugby union player.
South Wales Guardian
28 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
England stars past and present pay tribute to ‘fierce competitor' David Lawrence
Lawrence has died at the age of 61, a year on from making his devastating diagnosis public. The Gloucestershire favourite, a tearaway fast bowler whose international career was cut short by a terrible knee injury, was a well-loved character within the game as well and the first British-born black cricketer to play for England. Everyone at the ECB is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David 'Syd' Lawrence MBE. All of our thoughts are with David's family and friends during this difficult time. — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 22, 2025 A minute's applause was held at Headingley ahead of day three of the first Rothesay Test against India, with Ben Stokes' side wearing black armbands in Lawrence's honour. Tufnell, who shared the field with Lawrence in what proved to be his final Test, told BBC's Test Match Special: 'He was a great man, Syd, a fierce competitor. He was a great friend of mine. '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 Butcher, who faced Lawrence in his brief comeback following the reconstruction of his knee and remembers being bounced out by him, told Sky Sports: 'He didn't have that raw pace then but goodnees gracious me he came thundering in. I think he was the bowler that stopped me hooking. 'He was a big bear of a man, a full throttle individual who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was so proud to have represented England. Every time you met him there was genuine warmth there. 'To see the way things ended up for him was incredibly sad.' Former England bowler Stuart Broad lost his step-mother Miche to MND in 2010 and helps run the Broad Appeal, raising awareness and money to for research into the disease. 'There'll be a lot of sad people around the country and around the world with Syd's passing,' he said. 'But the MND community is very strong, very focused and very driven about finding a cure. We hope and pray a cure will be found at some stage.'
