Dan Lawrence hits 13 limits and one six on his way to a Test high score of 91 on day one of the second Test against the West Indies in Barbados; England close 244-3, with captain Joe Root unbeaten on 119
Dan Lawrence hit 13 limits and a six on his way to his highest score of 91 on the first day of the second test.
“There’s an Artful Dodger air about Dan Lawrence…he’s looking to steal from players’ pockets.”
That was former England batsman Mark Butcher’s assessment as Dan Lawrence splashed the limit on his way to a career-high Test score of 91 on the first day of the second Test between England and the West Indies in Barbados.
Lawrence provided some much-needed impetus in the second half of a day in which England dominated but in which the tourists were advancing by scoring under two runs for over (80 runs from the first 45 runs) until his arrival at the half ignited his first effort. of tickets.
Lawrence hit 13 limits and one of six on his 91st of 150s, sharing a superb 164-run position with skipper Joe Root (119th), before his and England’s day soured a bit with his sacking of what resulted. be the final ball of the day. .
Lawrence’s strength, his cocky striking game that had served him so well up to that point, was ultimately his undoing as he tried to hit a third cap in succession at a point where most would look to safely trade the final two deliveries. of the day down to the stumps.
But it is precisely this approach that will have England fans hoping they have found their answer at number four in the order.
On a tour that has already seen Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow cement their spaces leading the batting and at number six, respectively, after centuries in the first Test, and saw Root reacquaint himself with the number three spot in a style impressive in this entry, it seems England have another settled position in their long-criticized and brittle batting order.
In truth, number 4 was the only place that perhaps didn’t need fixing. Before this tour, Root was playing the best cricket of his career, scoring seven hundred from position since the start of last year.
But something had to change after another abject 4-0 Ashes pounding Down Under over the winter and, as mentioned, those early tweaks, including Root’s ascent, appear to be paying off, though it must be said that the flat, tame Los West Indies wickets have also played more than their part in England’s batting resurgence.
However, a squad is beginning to emerge that England can replicate. Crawley, though he failed here, falling for a seven-ball duck, makes sure England don’t get too far out of the gates, Root is there to counter any early setbacks and then Lawrence can ideally cash in once the ball is slightly older and more tired bowlers.
His arrival at the crease after 45 overs provided him with that opportunity and it was one he duly took with both hands until he gave it back a bit with his unfortunate lapse in concentration at the end.
“He’s always looking to be on the cutting edge, push the game forward,” Butcher added. “And there’s some risk that comes with that.”
The nature of Lawrence’s firing (meekly hitting the fielder in coverage) will disappoint him so much as his innings have generally been “risk-free” up to that point.
Yes, there were occasional opportunities, but it was far from pointless flirtation. Lawrence was brought down at 72 by Alzarri Joseph on the slip, a bad knockdown, but, if anything, it was his run between the wickets that caused the most alarm as England’s ‘Artful Dodger’ looked to catch too many risky singles to go with the pockets of West Indian bowlers.
Otherwise, it was clever and thoughtful batting from the 24-year-old Essex batsman appearing in just his 10th Test match.
Lawrence, a predominantly leg-side player, repeatedly drilled holes in the offside, prompting regular adjustments on the pitch in hopes of getting more protection on that side, only for Lawrence to then target the other side of the wicket. It was one of those scenarios that prompted Butcher’s astute comparison.
It won’t always be that easy for Lawrence. If, or perhaps more likely, when England’s old familiar batting problems return, Lawrence’s aggressive approach may not be as effective if forced early and with the ball going around in more bowler-friendly conditions.
Which is precisely why Lawrence will be kicking himself, knowing this was a missed opportunity with a ton of test maiden there for the taking, one that would have served as credit in the bank for any upcoming slimmer patches.
For now, England’s Artful Dodger will just have to hope he can catch a few more runs when he gets his next chance on this tour.
West Indies and England will resume the second Test at 2pm UK time on Thursday. Follow the text commentary one after another from 1:45pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
