Cricketer's race against time to write autobiography

The autobiography of former England and Gloucestershire cricketer David "Syd" Lawrence has been described as one of "resilience and character".

Written in collaboration with Dean Wilson, it was a race against time to gather the story of the 61-year-old after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) and faced losing his speech.

Former teammates and family joined Mr Lawrence at a book launch and charity cricket match in Downend, Bristol, on Friday.

Mr Wilson said: "We knew that he'd be losing his voice at some stage and his voice is something that was really characterful for him – it was part of who he was."