Howard Lawson

Howard Maurice Lawson (22 May 1914 — 21 October 2006) was an English first-class cricketer.

The son of the cricketer Maurice Lawson, he was born at Bournemouth in May 1914. Lawson made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Essex at Chelmsford in the 1935 County Championship, with him making seven appearances in that season's County Championship, alongside appearing for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture at Folkestone. During his debut season, he took 12 wickets with his right-arm fast-medium bowling at an average of exactly 45. With the bat, he scored 155 runs at an average of 17.22, making one half century (53) against Essex at Bournemouth, sharing in a last-wicket partnership of 78 with Gerry Hill.

Lawson established himself in the Hampshire team in 1936, making 21 appearances in the County Championship. As a lower order batsman, he scored 527 runs, averaging 9.41 runs per innings. He was noted by John Arlott as having a "lively action" who was at his best opening with the new ball, delivering mainly inswingers. Lawson was released at the end of the 1937 season alongside Ernest Hayter, having "not progress[ed] in the way hoped and expected".

Lawson served in the Second World War with the Royal Engineers, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in October 1941. He died in Worthing on 21 October 2006.