Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

11 regular cricket and had to withstand the derision of being – in my own case (especially to start with) such an exceedingly poor player but also an exceptionally slow bowler. But another source of confidence building would be Johnny’s style of coaching which I was told – from many sources – never discouraged the less gifted player but on the contrary sought to always find positive points to build on. His son, Stephen, has followed him in this vein. Acknowledgements The help I have received in researching and writing this book has been wonderful and quite touching. I do apologise for those I must have left out in these acknowledgements. The subject matter has caused so many to rally round. The Lawrence family have all been most keen to help. Stephen – Johnny’s youngest son – because of his deep involvement in cricket coaching – has been a primary source of information. I have also been helped by Pauline Twigg, Johnny’s second child and her husband Graham, and Johnny’s other surviving children, Robin Lawrence, Susan Mason and Dinah Mackay. I have got to speak to ex-players famous and non-famous alike. Speaking to the famous players especially has enabled me – whilst doing work for this project – to fulfill my own cricketing fantasies. Ruth Lawrence (Johnny’s niece) has greatly helped me. Olwyn Coope and Miles Coope junior have helped me greatly about their father and his friendship with Johnny. Sadly quite a number of those who have helped me in my research and to whom I’m forever indebted have passed on since I started this project. These include Don Wilson, Brian Close, Tom Graveney, Graham Atkinson, Peter Wight, Brian Langford, John Harris (of Somerset), Bob Appleyard and Ted Lester. Martin Binks who gave me details about Preamble