Dan Lawrence: A Square Peg in a Round Hole at the Top of the Order

There’s something particularly dissonant about watching a middle-order batsman thrust into an opening role in Test cricket. Dan Lawrence, the talented Essex man now plying his trade for Surrey, finds himself in just such a predicament. It’s a decision that has already begun to fray at the edges, exposing the cracks in a selection that appears, at best, experimental and, at worst, a touch reckless.

Opening the Batting is Not Lawrence’s Natural Position

To put it simply, Dan Lawrence is not an opening batsman. The reasoning behind this assertion is rooted in the very nature of opening the batting. It’s not just a matter of facing the new ball; it’s about technique, temperament, and a touch of specialised knowledge that doesn’t come easily – or quickly.

Lawrence’s Achilles heel lies around his off stump. His judgement in this area, so vital for an opener, is alarmingly vulnerable. His shot selection, too, leaves much to be desired. As Sir Geoffrey Boycott succinctly put it in his column for The Telegraph, “Lawrence is very comfortable when the ball is on the stumps and he can look to score on the leg side. But he is not as secure outside off stump where the top-class bowlers consistently aim.”

This vulnerability was laid bare in the first innings against a left-arm seamer. Lawrence, tentative and unsure, ended up hanging his bat out and edging behind. His second innings was no better, falling to a wide ball, a ‘getting out’ shot that every bowler loves to see.

The Case for a More Specialised Approach

There’s a reason why opening the batting is often left to specialists. The top-class bowlers that Test cricket produces consistently aim for that fourth or fifth stump channel, where every batsman is vulnerable, but particularly those like Lawrence who aren’t accustomed to facing it from the first ball. It’s one thing to be a talented stroke player in the middle order, where the ball is older, and the bowlers are tiring, but it’s another to face the music from ball one.

Lawrence, much like Dom Sibley before him, has shown a propensity for favouring the leg side, a trait that can lead to his undoing. “That’s how he got out second innings, leg-before playing across the line instead of straight,” noted Boycott, and it’s a pattern that will continue unless something changes.

There’s no denying Lawrence’s talent. He is a clean striker of the ball with a range of strokes against spin that few in the England setup can match. However, as an opener, he finds himself a square peg in a round hole. His long-term success at the top of the order will only be realised if he tightens up his judgement around off stump and learns to play straighter. For now, though, England must consider whether this experiment is worth continuing, especially with Zak Crawley waiting in the wings.

Shoaib Bashir: Learning from the Best

Shifting gears to the other end of the cricketing spectrum, we turn our attention to Shoaib Bashir, a young spinner with undeniable talent but plenty of room for growth. Standing tall with a fluid action, Bashir has the potential to create bounce and loop on hard pitches – a combination that every spinner dreams of.

However, as Boycott observed, Bashir’s line has been inconsistent, and he seems to be searching for wickets with every delivery. “My impression is he is not clear on what line he should be bowling so he tries all sorts of deliveries searching for a wicket,” said Boycott.

This scattergun approach can be costly, especially in the long format where patience and discipline are often more rewarding than flair. Bashir needs to learn the art of containment, of building pressure through dot balls rather than constantly hunting for that magic delivery.

Here, the example of Nathan Lyon is instructive. Lyon, arguably the best off-spinner in the world today, has built his success on a stock delivery that he can bowl on a sixpence. As Boycott suggested, “My advice would be go and look at film of Lyon bowling. He gets close to the stumps so he can find a touch of drift away from the batsman with his action but he aims to pitch outside off stump to spin back and hit the stumps.”

Stock Ball: The Foundation of a Successful Spinner

Every great spinner has a stock delivery they can rely on, one that can be bowled with precision and consistency. Before Shane Warne became the superstar he was, he sought advice from Richie Benaud, who famously told him to perfect his stock ball first. Warne didn’t need to worry about the googly, the flipper, or the slider until he had mastered the basics.

Bashir, too, must heed this advice. It’s admirable to search for wickets, but in doing so, he must not neglect the fundamentals. When the pitch is flat and the seamers have the better end, a spinner’s role often becomes one of containment. That’s when a good stock ball, bowled with discipline, becomes invaluable.

England’s recent Test against Sri Lanka offered a lesson in this regard. As the ball lost its hardness and shine, England’s bowlers appeared to be searching too hard for wickets, bowling too short and allowing the batsmen to stay back and play with comfort. “They still went on searching for wickets, trying harder and harder to bowl a magic ball which gave the batsmen variable lengths and easy runs,” Boycott observed.

Discipline: The Key to Success

The lesson here is one of discipline – something that Andrew Strauss’s era as captain exemplified. Strauss understood the importance of patience, of setting defensive fields and drying up the runs, forcing the batsmen to take risks. “Control is everything and it is vital not to let the opposition get momentum. Once you lose control it can be very difficult to regain it,” Boycott rightly noted.

England’s current side could benefit from this approach, particularly when faced with flat pitches and set batsmen. Discipline, both in bowling and field settings, remains crucial to regaining control in such situations.

In conclusion, both Dan Lawrence and Shoaib Bashir have lessons to learn if they are to succeed in their respective roles. Lawrence must tighten his technique and judgement if he is to survive as an opener, while Bashir must develop the discipline to contain and build pressure through consistent bowling. Only then will they realise their potential and contribute fully to England’s cause.