DAN LAWRENCE is standing on the Oval outfield after a hard day of Championship cricket against Somerset, the match is still in the balance but Lawrence has an air of contentment.
The 26- year-old’s move to Surrey from his childhood club, Essex, was one of the highest-profile county transfers of the closed season. The early indications are that his move to the county champions is proving to be a success, the first two matches of the season having seen him claim a bundle of wickets, alongside a quick-fire fifty in the frenetic but ultimately fruitless last-innings run chase against the Cidermen.
“I knew all the boys before I came here, it’s been a seamless transition into the dressing room. Batts (Gareth Batty) has been brilliant, we’ve been working really hard on my bowling, I’m trying to become a genuine all-rounder, not just a batter who bowls a little bit. I’m not exactly where I want it to be at the moment but hopefully I keep improving and take a few wickets.”
The middle-order batter and emerging off-spinner wasn’t shy in expressing how a major reason for joining the Brown Caps was to get more overs under his belt.
“A big part of leaving Essex was that I didn’t quite get to bowl the overs I would have liked to, through no fault of the club, it’s just that Simon Harmer is the best in the country.”
Lawrence has already bowled more overs for Surrey this season than he bowled in the past three years with Essex. And surprisingly, he was also tasked with opening the bowling in the third innings against Somerset.
“Rory told me two minutes before we went out! It was a great chance and I’ve been practising a lot with the new ball. I was excited for it and thankfully got a wicket in the first over.
“It’s a very good surface at the Oval, it’s not the kind of track where you can roll a team over. You have to work hard for your wickets.”
Lawrence has an idiosyncratic method with both bat and ball. As he delivers the ball, it’s easy to und
