da poker： He is thriving at a county his grandfather made home, playing in a set-up that is driven on the very principles his father made his life’s work

da betway： Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Jul-2016The legacy of Brett D’Oliveira’s grandfather is not lost on him. As he grew up, the full extent of what Basil, “a normal grandad”, meant to English cricket and the wider sport became apparent. Whether that came from his nan, Naomi, or the people of Worcester, who all harbour their own precious memories. The name is one that commands respect and often a sup of something to oil a long chat.That Brett carries the D’Oliveira surname is no burden. With two older brothers who both play cricket, but not professionally, he appreciates the privilege of upholding the family name in the first-class game. And 2016 has seen him do so with distinction.So far, this summer has brought three first-class hundreds and two half-centuries: a first Championship hundred, 128 against Essex, the same county that Basil notched his maiden first-class hundred against, followed by an unbeaten 202 against Glamorgan. Success has also followed in T20: a position in the middle order as a pace setter-turned-finisher allowing him to embrace a propensity to clear the ropes and dictate the tempo, averaging just under 35 in 12 innings. His legspin, too, has an added potency.There is an assurance to his game that has surprised many, though very few at New Road. At 24-years of age and on a prodigious upward curve, England Lions recognition seems something of a no-brainer. It has been quite the turnaround.In scoring that double-hundred against Glamorgan, he added another accolade to the D’Oliveira household – it was the first time that a grandfather, father and son had all registered first-class double-centuries. And it is that middle link, Damian D’Oliveira, that has inevitably left the biggest impression on not just Brett but Worcestershire as a club, allowing Brett to finally realise his potential. Where Basil commands respect, Damian evokes the sort of reverence of a loved one taken too early, but also of someone whose labour will be appreciated for more than a lifetime.As academy director and 2nd XI coach, he ensured a system was put in place that now sees Worcestershire as the leaders in youth development. The transition from academy to second team to first team is seamless thanks to a club-wide template that incorporates minutiae such as warm-up drills to coach interactions, ensuring support and professional standards are consistent from top to bottom.

For years many have commented that certain trademarks, such as the D’Oliveira leg glance, seem to have lost none of their grace as they have made their way down the family tree

As well as Brett and 20-year-old Joe Clarke with England Lions, the county has five players in the England Under-19 squads for four-day and one-day matches against Sri Lanka. In the Championship, 13 out of the 17 players used so far are products of his hard work. In 2014, soon after Damian’s passing, Worcestershire won promotion to Division One with a similarly skewed squad.Most of them were lucky to experience his methods first-hand: stand-offish at the top of a net with eyes fixed on every moving part of a bowler or batsman. Interjections were minimal, but when they arrived, they were gold dust. When it came to coaching his son, Damian took a different approach.”He was definitely different with me,” remembers Brett. “We would always do our work in the car because he’d always take me to cricket. I’d get in the car, say, after a match, and he’d ask me two or three questions. But never the sort I’d expect.”It’d be like – ‘so why did you play that shot two weeks ago?’ And we’d have just played a game that day. But that didn’t bother him. He wanted to talk about that game in the past, because he wanted me to explore and analyse my game.”Perhaps one of the biggest changes that Damian imposed on Brett’s game was with the ball. Up until the age of 13, Brett was a skiddy pace bowler. At the time, Damian had been working closely with Shane Warne’s mentor Terry Jenner. Having spent time with him in England and out in Australia, he came to Brett with some honesty: “Look son, you’re never going to be six-foot and bowl 90mph. Have you thought about legspin?” After a few nets, Brett was hooked.Legspin adds a useful second string to D’Oliveira’s game•Getty ImagesWhile it is only now that Brett’s batting has come on, for years many have commented that certain trademarks, such as the D’Oliveira leg glance, seem to have lost none of their grace as they have made their way down the family tree. Even as a kid, when he was not hurtling around New Road or hiding in kit bags and coffins, he was batting on the outfield or in the changing room during rain delays and impressing players with his timing. That, crucially, is something he has maintained but the chances to showcase it were limited.Previous years had seen him operate as little more than a bit-part player. Prior to last season, he played four first-class matches, batting no higher than No. 7. After occupying middle-order positions in his first two matches, a spot came up at the top of the order. And in anticipation of this, the cogs had already been turning behind the scenes.In the latter stages of Damian’s battle with cancer, he enlisted the help of friend and former Yorkshire batsman Kevin Sharp to assist with his academy and first-team duties. By this stage, Sharp had already worked as a batting coach at Headingley and helped bring through Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance. Almost immediately, Sharp recognised an array of gifts that Brett possessed that suggested he was batting too low: he was either fully forward or fully back, never caught off balance in between. The timing was evident but so too was the ability to manipulate the ball into gaps, which complimented Brett’s pace between the wickets. After consulting with director or cricket Steve Rhodes, Sharp approached Brett at an opportune moment.”It was a second-team game, and someone was actually ill on that day,” recalls Brett. “It wasn’t something that ever crossed my mind previously but Sharpy came up to me and asked if I’d mind opening the batting. At that stage, I was still trying to find my place in four-day cricket and wanted to bat higher. And in that situation, you just take the opportunity and try and make it work! Fortunately, I managed to score some runs that day.”Big runs in the 2nd XI followed and soon Rhodes and captain Daryl Mitchell came to him at the end of the 2015 season to carry his new hobby into first-team cricket. The results speak for themselves.”I think with all players, it’s important to remember that they don’t go straight to the top of Everest,” says Rhodes. “They might have to take a backward step. There will be delays. Brett, like a lot of others, have had their ups and downs. What is nice is that he is starting to mature. When Damian passed away, we as a club struggled. And Brett took it quite hard. But to see him now is special. He’s his own man, trying to forge a career for himself.”Brett D’Oliveira is thriving at a county his grandfather made home, playing in a set-up that is thriving on the very principles his father made his life’s work. Whether Lions cricket is a new beginning or his peak, he is adding further credence to an already impressive family name.