RAPIDS all-rounder Brett D’Oliveira has been backed by head coach Kevin Sharp to excel in white ball cricket after a difficult start to the season in the Championship for the county.
The talented D’Oliveira was among the stars as Worcestershire went top of the north group in the Royal London One-Day Cup with an outstanding three-wicket win over Lancashire over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Sharp praised D’Oliveira who picked up 2-28 in his 10 overs and proved difficult for the Lancashire batsmen to get away.
“Brett’s white ball skills have been prolific over the last two or three years. He varies his pace nicely, is good at bowling it into the pitch,” Sharp said.
“With him being not as tall as some players, sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce as much and that’s harder for the batsmen to get underneath it and that certainly proved the case today.”
D’Oliveirra notched a half century in the win over Leicestershire Foxes on Tuesday.
Sharp praised his players for their positive response to four defeats in five Championship games by showcasing their big hitting talents in the first of two limited over competitions this summer.
The Rapids looked to be facing an uphill task at 93-6 against Lancashire chasing a 255 target in 48 overs.
But Daryl Mitchell, scoring 102 off 118 balls, and with the aid of superb support from Ed Barnard (28) and skipper Joe Leach (42no) in stands of 58 and 104 unbroken, got the Rapids over the line off the last ball.
“We haven’t always had the rub of the green this season,” said Sharp.
“Those of us who have been around long enough know it’s a wheel of fortune and it can turn for you and, having had a disappointing result at Durham on Friday after winning at Headingley, it’s a roller coaster ride.
“You sometimes aren’t sure what is going to happen next and, here we are, top of the table aren’t we?”
“It’s a fantastic win. It’s fair to say we did well with the ball and in the field. It look at one point as if Lancashire could make 300 on a good wicket. But we had a great spell in the middle where we took wickets and fielded brilliantly.
“When we lost six wickets in the first 18 overs, you wonder how you are going to get there and more often than not, you wouldn’t.
“Barny’s partnership with Mitch was excellent and then Joe has played a captain’s innings at the end and got us over the line.
“I was in tears just about at the end because you are hoping you can do these things but you think it is a long shot when you are six down from 18 overs.
“But that’s the beauty of the game. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you.”