David Lawrence (cricketer)

David Valentine Lawrence (28 January 1964 – 21 June 2025) was an English cricketer, who mainly played for Gloucestershire and briefly featured for England, becoming the first British-born black player to represent the country. He picked up 625 wickets in 280 matches for Gloucestershire, where he appeared in a bowling attack alongside Courtney Walsh and Kevin Curran. Lawrence later suffered a severe knee injury, on international duty, which curtailed his playing days. In 2022, he became the first black president of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours for services to cricket.. He was popularly nicknamed "Syd" after the British bandleader of that name.