The reaction of The Oval crowd to Dan Lawrence’s wicket was indicative of his position.
Having just watched Ben Duckett scythe back-to-back fours down the ground, the groan that Lawrence’s wicket was met with was followed by a resigned sigh which rippled around the ground. It wasn’t quite sympathy, but closer to annoyance for the hometown boy clearly floundering. At his newly adopted home ground, where his performances in the early part of the summer furthered his case as England’s understudy, the reception reflects the trouble Lawrence is in.
The single digit score he made at The Oval is Lawrence’s third in a row, having mustered nine and seven at Lord’s last week. He was out both times to balls on a good length outside off, nicking through to Asitha Fernando behind the stumps. That echoed an almost identical dismissal to his opening innings of the series at Old Trafford, where he failed to capitalise on a 30-run start. Another full ball coming in from outside off trapped him lbw in the second innings for a similarly inbetween score.
Although his dismissal at The Oval was different, it was in stark contrast to the freedom Duckett was scoring with at the other end. Having been kept quiet for 20 balls, Lawrence attempted to manufacture a typically wristy leg-side shot, but was indecisive and tentative as he did so, the things that this England side, and usually he, is not.
Over the last 18 months, Lawrence has been England’s de-facto spare bat, ready to step in should one of a well-established top six have to make way. He was recalled to the squad in March last year for the tour to New Zealand, after he was dropped following England’s regime change and a run of injuries. But, still seen as the archetypal player to fit the new mould, the 2023 county summer entrenched his position as the next cab off the rank. He scored a century in the opening round of the Championship, the first of three before the summer was out. Signing for Surrey mid-season was a statement of his ambition, and he openly reasoned that the decision was largely to further his England opportunities.
When Ollie Pope dislocated his shoulder at Lord’s during the Ashes, Lawrence may well have expected a call-up at No.3. Instead, England decided to get funky, fudging the batting order by promoting Moeen Ali, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes across the following three matches. Lawrence was still left on standby, a state of flux which continued through the India series and the first leg of the 2024 Test summer.
But, when Zak Crawley broke his thumb dropping a catch off Jason Holder, Lawrence’s ears would have pricked up once more. Despite not having opened the batting since 2015, he’s repeatedly stated his willingness to bat anywhere in the order to get back into England’s XI. In any case, picking an opener with limited to no experience opening the batting isn’t out of character for this England setup, who believe the value of the player outweighs the requirements of a position.
Duckett was more experienced at No.3 than as an opener when he came into the side against Pakistan. Pope had never batted higher than four before he became England’s No.3. In any case, Lawrence at his best is carefree and flowing, with a steely determination beneath the surface. He was trusted to make the best of the only opportunity available.
But asking him to open was a step beyond the more muted outlandishness of Duckett and Pope’s selections. And against relatively benign opposition, Lawrence has struggled, cogs whirring behind his eyes, far from the audacious swashbuckler we’ve seen in past glimpses in an England shirt.
It’s not lost that this is an opportunity 18 months in the making, and in a summer where others have taken theirs with both hands.
Jamie Smith, also filling a role he doesn’t usually occupy for Surrey, has bedded himself in and Gus Atkinson is enjoying, statistically, the best debut summer ever by an England seamer. When Jordan Cox was released from the England squad, he whacked 141 for Hampshire in the following days. With Stokes a doubt for the first Test in Pakistan, Cox’s summer may well have pushed him ahead of Lawrence in the race for the No.6 spot.
That Pakistan series might have brought more opportunities than just filling in for one of those who usually keep him out. Last time England went to Pakistan, they picked Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks to provide a volume of spin overs while ensuring the depth of batting which allowed them to go on their rampage in Rawalpindi. If they were looking at a similar approach this time, Lawrence's all-rounder re-brand for Surrey would have put him in prime position to take that kind of role. He is yet to bowl in the Sri Lanka series, and so has been unable to advance that side of his case.
Lawrence has been dealt a tough hand, left on standby for almost two years and given an alien job when finally called upon. His misfortune is that he might have had better luck if England had toned down their urge to revel in the whacky, and gone with an interim opener until Crawley returned, leaving Lawrence to bide his time until a better spot, even if temporarily, opened up. As it is, finally getting into the side might have knocked him back down below where he started.
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