During the 1988 season, in a match against the touring West Indies, in gloomy conditions at Bristol, a delivery from Lawrence struck batter Phil Simmons on the head.
Simmons had not been wearing a helmet, and his heart stopped beating as he was rushed to hospital for emergency brain surgery; he made a full recovery.
[9] He also played his only one-day international that season at Lord's, returning the best bowling figures in the match, 4 for 67 in 11 eventful overs, including his Gloucestershire colleague Walsh among his wickets.
[11] Having just established himself as part of England's primary bowling strikeforce, he suffered a knee injury on 10 February 1992, in Wellington, New Zealand, while playing his fifth Test for his country.
Despite two come-back attempts for his county, including the first after a full thirteen months of recuperation, when the knee cracked yet again during a gymnasium work-out,[1] he was never able to play for England again and was eventually forced to retire from the sport at the age of 29.