Cricket: Retirement beckons for Lawrence

DAVID LAWRENCE is set to retire after two years of trying to recover from a knee injury suffered while playing for England. The 30-year-old Gloucestershire fast bowler collapsed during a Test match against New Zealand in February 1992 with a split left kneecap.

The knee gave way again last March and required another operation but he refused to give in and worked out in a gym six days a week to rebuild his knee muscles in such a way that would stand up to the strain of carrying his 17st frame. An attempt to return for his county last season failed.

He is currently playing third-team cricket for Randwick in Australia but the operations severely restricted his mobility and fielding was

almost imposssible.

He made his Gloucestershire debut in 1981 and played five times for England. He took 18 Test wickets with a best return of 5 for 106 against the West Indies at The Oval in 1991.