David Syd Lawrence, First British-Born Black Cricketer To Play For England Dies At 61

David 'Syd' Lawrence of England died at the age of 61 on Sunday June 22. He was the first British-Born black cricketer to play for the English side. The cricketer was diagnosed with MND (motor neurone disease) in 2024. It is considered a degenerative condition that affects the brain and nerves, causing muscle wastage. Sadly the disease cannot be cured and Lawrence tried his best to make people aware of the disease. He was a Gloucestershire fast bowler. The fast bowler played five Test matches for England. He was a Gloucestershire legend taking 625 wickets for the club in his 280 appearances. In 1988, Lawrence became the first British-born Black cricketer to represent England. Later in 2022, he became his county's first Black president. In June 2025, Lawrence received an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours, having been named as one of the inaugural Honorary Life Vice-Presidents of the ECB earlier in the year.
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. As President of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Syd took on the role with incredible pride and passion and loved every minute of it. Syd's wife Gaynor and son Buster thank everyone for the kindness and support that has been shown to them and the family so far and would ask that they are now given some time and space to grieve in private." David Lawrence, a respected figure in cricket, dedicated himself to promoting inclusion and diversity within the sport. In 2021, he courageously shared his personal experiences with racism he encountered while at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, leading to an unreserved apology from the club. His commitment to this cause also extended to his involvement with the African-Caribbean Engagement (ACE) program in Bristol, which aims to nurture cricketing talent from diverse backgrounds and re-engage the Black community with the sport. "Everyone connected with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club will be devastated with the news of Syd's passing, and we send all our love to his incredible family and friends. The executive team at the Club were of course aware of his fine record as a one-county man but we all got to truly know and love him as our current President. He was so 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. Friday night's 'Pink 4 Syd; match was a fitting tribute to a Gloucestershire great, and we are very sad to have lost someone so special," said Gloucestershire Cricket chief executive Neil Priscott. In a statement released by the ECB, chair Richard Thompson said: "David 'Syd' Lawrence was a true trailblazer of English cricket and a man of immense courage, character, and compassion.
"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. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the entire cricketing community at this time."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Indian Express

2 hours ago

• Indian Express

Air India crash: 251 DNA samples match, 245 bodies handed over to kin

Almost 10 days after the London-bound Air India flight with 242 persons on board plunged into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, the DNA samples of 251 victims have been matched. Further, a total of 245 bodies have been handed over to the families as of Sunday evening while six families will receive the bodies shortly, said Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. In a video statement on Sunday evening, Dr Joshi said that the 245 victims whose bodies had been handed over included 176 Indian citizens, seven Portuguese, 49 British citizens, one Canadian and 12 on-ground persons. Since the process of matching the DNA samples is very sensitive and legal matters are also involved, this process is being completed very seriously and as fast as possible, said Dr Joshi. National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and forensic science laboratory (FSL) among other institutions are associated with the process. Additionally, personnel from the local administration, state Health Department and other agencies are also helping in the process. Of the 245 bodies handed over to families, 195 belong to 22 districts in Gujarat, including 24 from Vadodara, 12 from Kheda, Ahmedabad 70, Mehsana 7, Botad 1, Aravalli 3, Anand 28, Bharuch 7, Surat 12, Banaskantha 3, Gandhinagar 7, Junagadh 1, Amreli 2, Gir Somnath 5, Mahisagar 1, Bhavnagar 1, Rajkot 3, Jamnagar 2, Patan 3, Dwarka 2, and Sabarkantha 1. Further, 40 bodies were transported to other states and UTs, including Rajasthan 10, Maharashtra 13, Diu 14, Nagaland 1, Manipur 1, and Bihar 1. The mortal remains of 10 victims were sent to London by international flights, said officials.

News18

2 hours ago

• News18

Barmy Army Honour David Lawrence At Headingley With Musical Tribute

Last Updated: The Barmy Army honoured David "Syd" Lawrence during the first Test between India and England. Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer for England, died at 61. English fan group 'The Barmy Army' paid tribute to David 'Syd" Lawrence during day three of the first Test of the five-match series between India and England at Headingley in Leeds on Sunday. The former England fast bowler passed away at the age of 61 after a year-long battle with motor neurone disease (MND). WATCH: Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer to represent England, was diagnosed with MND last year. This degenerative condition causes muscle wastage and affects the brain and nerves. 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE (King's Birthday Honours) following his brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease," his family said. 'Syd was an inspirational figure on and off the cricket field. A proud Gloucestershire man, Syd faced every challenge with all his might, and his final contest with MND was no different. Lawrence, who earned five Test caps for England, made 280 appearances for Gloucestershire and took 625 wickets for the county. He made his Test debut at Lord's against Sri Lanka in 1988, with his career highlight being a five-wicket haul against the West Indies at the Oval in 1991. In 2022, Lawrence became Gloucestershire County Cricket Club's first Black president and was named one of the inaugural Honorary Life Vice-Presidents of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) earlier this year. ECB chairman Richard Thompson described Lawrence as 'a true trailblazer of English cricket and a man of immense courage, character, and compassion." 'His impact on the game extended far beyond the boundary ropes," Thompson added. '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." Ahead of the start of play, India and England players wore black armbands to pay their respects.

Business Standard

6 hours ago

• Business Standard

ENG vs IND: Why India and England players wore black armbands today?

India and England players wore black armbands to pay their respect to former fast bowler David Lawrence, who passed away on Sunday. He was 61. Lawrence, who was affectionately known as Syd', played five Tests (18 wickets) and a lone ODI (4 wickets) for England between 1988 and 1992. Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer to represent England, was battling motor neurone disease (MND) since last year. Both teams are wearing black armbands to pay their respects to former England Cricketer, David 'Syd' Lawrence, who has sadly passed away. There was a moment's applause before the start of play on Day 3, the BCCI said in a statement. Lawrence was diagnosed with the disease in 2024, a degenerative condition that affects the brain and nerves, leading to muscle wastage and there is no known cure to it. He had also authored a book Syd's Voice' to create awareness about MND and was involved in charity to raise funds for other patients. A Gloucestershire legend, Lawrence amassed 515 wickets from 185 First-Class matches and 155 wickets from 113 List A games. A promising bowler with extreme pace of his time, Lawrence's international career ended when he suffered a serious kneecap injury while bowling against New Zealand at Wellington in 1992.