Worcestershire Captain Brett D’Oliveira says his side is eager to get back on track this weekend after a turbulent third day against Durham saw his Pears outfit taste defeat for the second time in as many weeks.
A positive start to 2026 saw the Pears go unbeaten in their first three matches of the Division Two season, before a bump in the road culminated in a hurried third-day defeat to Ben Stokes’ Durham on Sunday.
Having ascertained a lead in the match, the home side looked well set to take the game into a competitive position at the halfway stage, but a disappointing second innings with the bat allowed the visitors to strengthen their grip on proceedings at New Road.
Keen to acknowledge where his side went wrong, D’Oliveira says the batters amongst the group are out to make a positive statement this weekend.
“The frustrating thing from inside the dressing room is that we were right in the contest against Durham for the majority of the match.
“We fought really hard to keep ourselves in the match, and a couple of bits of brilliance helped us stay in it, but the game can change so quickly if you don’t quite apply yourself and stay in the moment.
“Against the best sides, you will get punished.
“As a batting group, we had a look this week, and we know that wasn’t an honest reflection of where we have been and what we can do. The most important thing for us is not to let that bog us down or cloud our thinking ahead of Friday.
“We have had a lot of really positive periods with the bat this season, so we won’t let last week define us.”