Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira is looking for Worcestershire to build on last summer’s success in the County Championship and said: “I want us to be competing in Division One for many years to come.”
Worcestershire finished in sixth position following their promotion in 2023 – their highest position since the competition split into two divisions in 2000.
D’Oliveira expects it to be an even tougher challenge in the top flight next season, after the promotion of Yorkshire and Sussex, but says the players will again be up for the challenge.
The all-rounder said himself and Head Coach Alan Richardson want Worcestershire to stop yo-yoing between the two divisions after seven promotions and six relegations in the space of 20 years from 2003 to 2023.
D’Oliveira said: “From a team point of view, in terms of four day cricket, we spoke about the previous two seasons and that we wanted to try and create some history and I feel like we are en route to doing that.
“It is a real feather in our cap at the minute. However, I don’t want to just rest on that. I want us to be competing in Division One for many years to come really.
“To be fair, everyone, Bumpy, Giddo or Richo, has always had that sight of trying to get to Division One and staying and competing in Division One.
“That is ultimately the goal but we know how challenging that is and I feel it is getting harder and harder each year.
“Yorkshire are at the start of a journey, and I think they are going to build something quite nicely over the next few years, and Sussex look like they have put together a really good squad as well.
“But with the way the group pulled together, in the face of obviously a lot of adversity last year, we are just looking forward to next year and trying to do the same thing.
“Stop being a yo-yo club? Exactly that. That is what myself and Richo have spoken about quite a bit and the boys are fully aware of that as well.
“It is about just trying to solidify our place in Division One and then hopefully over the next few years, try and creep up that table.”
D’Oliveira says Worcestershire will again set positive targets for 2025 rather than just look to survive in Division One.
He said: “I’m quite a positive person and if you start using the language of ‘staying up’ and ‘surviving’ you are already on the back foot so why not go the other way and look to the top half of the table?
“That is exactly what we will do again this year. In football parlance, we spoke about trying to get into the ‘Champions League’ and that sort of stuff, so try and use that analogy which resonated quite nicely with the boys.
“Trying to put a positive spin on it and not always think that we are on the back foot because we know it’s a challenge but I think it is something the boys are relishing.”
D’Oliveira praised “a real team” effort from the Worcestershire squad in securing another campaign of top flight cricket.
He said: “Everyone chipped in when it was needed. That is exactly what you want from your team.
“If you look back at previous years when we’ve come up, Daryl Mitchell was a huge part of that, scoring huge amount of runs, Saeed Ajmal taking X amount of wickets and Joe Leach the same.
“Last year, different guys stood up at different points, and had really good periods in the season. We will be looking for more of that next season.”
D’Oliveira defied a shoulder problem to lead Worcestershire last summer and produced a string of significant contributions with the bat on his return to the side after the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
He said: “I don’t want to bang on too much about it but it has been a real challenge for me personally with my shoulder and it is still is unfortunately.
“But just to come back into the team and contribute is something I really wanted to do, and thankfully I managed to do that in that period of time.
“It’s still a case of managing it at the minute. It feels slightly better than it did at the end of last season. Trying to give it this period to get it nice and strong and also give it the rest from batting and bowling, to give it a proper re-set almost.
“Looking forward to January, to be able to pick up a bat again and bowl some balls and then diving around in the field is something I pride myself upon and it was hard last year to try and refrain from diving at times.
“It will be nice to try and get back to that point, and that’s certainly the goal, so fingers crossed that I do.”
