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David ‘Syd’ Lawrence: Life of ‘trailblazing’ cricket legend documented in new film

26th February 2026

Family and friends of David ‘Syd’ Lawrence, the first British-born black cricketer to represent England, have remembered a ‘trailblazer’ in a new film reflecting his remarkable life and legacy.

David Valentine Lawrence, affectionately known as Syd, died at the age of 61, a year after revealing publicly he had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

The diagnosis devastated Syd and his family, confronting them with a disease that would gradually steal from a loving father, brother, and husband his ability to walk—and eventually, talk.

But in the memories of those who knew him best, Syd was a man with a boundless energy, passion, and true determination to succeed in whatever he did, on or off the pitch.

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