Dan Lawrence impresses as Vaughan backs him for England Test squad

Dan Lawrence walked out at Headingley as the man asked to replace Ben Stokes. By Saturday evening at Trent Bridge, he looked far more than a stopgap.

Under low, brooding skies and on a pitch that misbehaved all afternoon, the 29-year-old right-hander turned a fragile England position into something far more stubborn, carving an unbeaten 50 from 66 balls against Pakistan and, in the process, strengthening his grip on a Test spot that was supposed to be temporary.

Michael Vaughan, watching closely for BBC Test Match Special, has seen enough.

“I think it is a really good selection,” the former captain said. “He will have a period in the England side that we will enjoy watching him bat. I think in time his off-spin will come in very handy indeed.”

A risky pick that’s starting to look shrewd

Lawrence’s recall raised eyebrows when it came. Two years out of the side. A Test average of 26.84 from 14 matches. A brief, uncomfortable spell as a makeshift opener. This was not the obvious heir to Stokes’ all-rounder role.

England’s selectors gambled. They chose four frontline quicks and no specialist spinner, trusting Lawrence’s part-time off-spin to plug the gap if needed. It was a clear statement: pace first, spin only if the game drags that way.

So far, the quicks have hogged the ball. Lawrence has sent down just one over in the series, with Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue doing the heavy lifting and justifying the plan.

Lawrence has made his case with the bat instead.

He began with 51 in the first Test at Headingley, an innings that hinted at a player who had used his time away from the international game wisely. On day three of the second Test, that impression hardened.

England were 83-4 when he arrived, the ball jagging, the bounce unreliable, Pakistan sniffing a collapse. By the time rain dragged the players off with the score 177-7, Lawrence was still there, 50 not out, having hit six fours and two sixes and, more importantly, having changed the mood.

He did it by attacking. Not recklessly, but with intent, picking his scoring areas and trusting a technique that has always looked a little unorthodox but is now backed by a deeper assurance.

“He seems to read the game,” Vaughan said. “It was the right way to play at that moment. He has a quirky technique that has worked for him and is very confident. He knows his scoring areas. He is clearly a better player than when he played for England last time.”

A balance built for fast tracks

England’s current balance, with Lawrence preferred to a frontline spinner, suits early-season home cricket. Seam, swing, movement off the pitch: this is terrain where four quicks can win you most sessions.

It is a template that could travel, too. South Africa and Australia await this winter, both venues where pace often dictates the story and where a part-time spinner can sometimes be enough to hold an end while the quicks rotate.

Bangladesh in the new year will be different. Spin will dominate selection meetings there. For now, though, the success of Robinson, Archer, Atkinson and Tongue has made the absence of a specialist spinner feel far less risky, and that has worked in Lawrence’s favour.

The question is what happens when everyone is fit.

Bethell, Cox and a looming squeeze

Jacob Bethell’s knee injury has kept him out of this series, but his name still hovers over every team-sheet discussion. Like Lawrence, he offers runs and part-time spin. Unlike Lawrence, he is currently sidelined.

When Bethell returns, he could come straight back for Lawrence. Or he could take the spot of Jordan Cox, who has filled in at number three and responded with two fifties of his own.

There are other moving parts. Cox or Bethell could be pushed up to open in place of Emilio Gay. Cox has opened in county cricket; Bethell is England’s current 50-over opener. A reshuffle could also see Cox move down the order and take the gloves from Jamie Smith.

Smith, for his part, has not gone quietly. He made a composed 61 in England’s first innings and has sharpened his keeping after a rough Ashes. Every run, every clean take, makes the selectors’ job harder.

Lawrence knows all of this. He has lived the other side of selection, the phone call that doesn’t go your way, the years in the wilderness.

“It’s pointless looking to the future because it hasn’t happened yet,” he said. “I’m just trying to contribute every Test I can and give a good showing of myself. Thankfully, so far, I think I have done.

“Obviously thoughts creep into your head and I’m desperate, along with all the other boys, to establish myself in an England shirt, which is something I haven’t quite done in my career so far.

“It’s just about trying to take every opportunity you get and really enjoy the occasion instead of feeling nervous about the occasion. Just have fun, play the cricket that’s got me here this summer.”

For now, the equation is simple. England are winning key moments with a four-man pace attack. Lawrence is walking into difficult situations and walking out unbeaten. His off-spin remains largely unused, but his temperament under fire is not.

Bethell will be back. Cox will keep scoring runs. Smith will keep pushing his case.

Lawrence’s answer is clear: make it as hard as possible to leave him out.