D'Oliveira 'really impressive' in Worcestershire pre-season preparations, says Richardson

Head coach Alan Richardson said D'Oliveira has been 'really impressive' since Worcestershire have stepped up their preparations ahead of the 2025 season

Worcestershire head coach Alan Richardson has praised Brett D'Oliveira for his impressive performances in pre-season training.

The batter has been putting in the hard yards ahead of the 2025 campaign and Richardson has been pleased with what he's seen so far.

However, there are still areas of D'Oliveira's game that need improving, such as his diving.

"What I have noticed is how well he is moving at the moment in terms of how well he is practicing," said Richardson.

"We’ve tried to grade it up a little bit with Brett, and we gave him as much time as possible so he didn’t do too much in terms of cricket before Christmas, but he was working hard on his fitness.

"As we’ve got into the cricket, he has been really, really impressive. We are still trying to work on certain things for him, just trying to get a bit of confidence into diving and things which is still a big thing for Brett.

"But I was actually just looking over the other day in the nets, watching him play and he looks in a really good spot at the moment so long may that continue.

"It would be nice to watch him with a smile on his face and not a grimace if I’m honest!"

Richardson also credited D'Oliveira for playing through the pain in the latter stages of the 2023 season to help Worcestershire earn promotion from Division Two.

"It is easy to forget that for the last 18 months he has played in pain which is really frustrating for him since he had the operation," said the head coach.

"A lot of the cricket he would have played in the last 18 months is not always a representation of him."