TALENTED all-rounder Brett D’Oliveira has been praised for stepping up to the mark as he resumed the Pears captaincy for the County Championship clash with Somerset.
The 26-year-old has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Basil D’Oliveira who skippered the Pears for three games in the early 1970s by taking on the role for the home win over Lancashire and the fighting draw with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
D’Oliveira has taken the helm for an initial trio of Championship games after Joe Leach was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture of the back.
And ahead of the Championship captaincy being reviewed at the conclusion of the Somerset clash, head coach Kevin Sharp was been full of praise for the way the all-rounder has slotted into the role.
D’Oliveira also led the Rapids in the Vitality Blast in the absence of official Blast captain Moeen Ali while on England duty, before Ali returned for last Friday’s encounter with Durham Jets at the Emirates Riverside.
Sharp said: “Brett has done a terrific job. He has relished that extra responsibility; he is a highly respected member of the group. His tactical awareness has been excellent.
“His communication with his team and all the coaches has been excellent.
“He asks questions, he wants to learn and get other people’s opinions but he is very strong at making his own decisions so he is a nice package.”