The Spin | The hundred club remains the batter’s holy grail – just ask Dan Lawrence - 爱游戏

England batter’s agony on missing out at Edgbaston reminded us that however well you play, a century remains the ultimate validation

“Nooooo!”

There was something about Dan Lawrence’s pained groan at Edgbaston in England’s first innings of the third Test against Pakistan. For a split second it looked as if he might plunge his bat into the turf like some tormented Norse warrior. His stumps had already been flattened by his own hand, an attempt to run the ball down past point off Mohammad Imran had ended in him hacking an innocuous delivery emphatically on to them.