Former England quick and trailblazer Lawrence dies at 61

Lawrence, who played five Tests for England and was Gloucestershire president, had motor neurone disease

- Simon Burnton

Colleagues and former teammates of David "Syd" Lawrence have paid tribute to the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler after he died on Saturday of motor neurone disease.

Phil Tufnell described Lawrence as "a great man and a great friend" and Richard Thompson, the England and Wales Cricket Board chair, called him "a true trailblazer and a man of immense courage, character and compassion".

Tufnell, who played alongside Lawrence in three of his five Tests, told the BBC's Test Match Special: "He was a great man, Syd, a fierce competitor. He was a sight to behold, coming in with the ball in hand: a great big fella, all arms and legs and determination. He was a very intimidating sight but with a very soft, warm heart. He had a great sense of humour. He would literally walk into a room and just fill the room with smiles and laughter and stories. He always sort of looked after the underdog. God, he got me out of a few scrapes!"

Mark Ramprakash, another former England teammate, said: "He was a ferocious competitor. He absolutely tore in and it was just maximum effort every ball, so you really had to be on your wits when facing him. It was power, just power. He had to bowl quick, and he had to run in and give it everything. And he was just so well liked by everyone as well. Everyone loved Syd. It was that infectious enthusiasm that he had - he was just a good, honest bloke. I found him great fun to be around."