Lawrence should have been striding around Edgbaston, a fit, muscular 60-year-old. In June he was diagnosed with the same disease that took the lives of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow. This man mountain, who became a champion bodybuilder after his career was cruelly ended by one of the most shattering injuries suffered by a cricketer playing for England, was known for his physical prowess.
He proudly says he could bowl “90-91 miles per hour” and not just for the odd ball but “all day, every day”. He could bench-press 150kg and three years in a row was crowned the National Amateur Body Building Association’s West of England champion for the over-forties.
Former bodybuilder now struggles to drink a cup of tea
In a few short months, MND has had a devastating effect on his physique. Now he struggles to bring a cup to his mouth, his son wipes his nose and he had difficulty clapping to mark Gloucestershire’s victory. He is wheelchair-bound and his voice is thin. Talking is hard work; he takes deep breaths between sentences. Those are the facts of MND that he does not want sugar-coating and, in an interview with Telegraph Sport, he is frank about his future.
“We all know how this is going to end,” he says. “It’s like I’m watching the Titanic. All I want to have is smooth travel before I hit the iceberg, because I know I’m going to hit the iceberg. There is nothing I can do about it.
“The other day someone asked me, ‘Does death scare you?’ Death doesn’t scare me, no, not at all. I know I’m going to die. I think for a lot of people what scares them is they don’t know how they are going to die. I know this will kill me. My body will shut down, every bit of it. My muscles, my breathing will shut down. And I am prepared for that.”
At this point Buster hands his dad his hankie, to dab the corners of his eyes. Buster is built like his dad and is a former rugby player who played for Moseley and Wasps. He spends Saturday looking after his dad, Gloucestershire’s win setting the tone for a joyful week for the family.
Buster gets married on Friday. He brought his wedding forward so his dad would be well enough to attend. Last month Syd had his voice recorded in case it became too weak to give his speech as father of the groom. He is determined to see it through. The fierce will that helped him bowl nearly 4,500 first-class overs at high pace when there was little knowledge about sports science or medicine is still there, burning strongly.
“Buster has found somebody very special. I’ve been there looking after him his whole life… and when I’m gone, I know she will look after him,” he says.
