R.I.P. Damian D'Oliveira

As reported by various outlets today, Worcestershire are today mourning the loss of a member of the county's most famous cricketing dynasty. Damian D'Oliveira, previously a player and subsequently the county's academy coach, passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer at the age of 53. Dolly will be greatly missed around new road, not least by the many players he has helped to bring through to first class cricket. It is poignant therefore, that one of Damian's latest academy graduates, Tom Fell, today marked his passing with a fine century in partnership with another of Dolly's protegee's, Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Their partnership was worth 168 when Fell was bowled for 133.

A brief article on Dolly's passing, taken from the Worcestershire website, can be seen below.


"Worcestershire are sad to report that Academy director Damian D'Oliveira passed away in the early hours of this morning.D'Oliveira has bravely been battling cancer for the past two and a half years.

The 53-year-old, the son of Worcestershire and England legend Basil D'Oliveira, played for the county between 1982 and 1995. He scored more than 9,000 first class runs, with a highest score of 237, and nearly 5,000 List A runs and was part of one of the most successful sides in Worcestershire's history. D'Oliveira was also responsible for the discovery of many of the current first team squad which includes his son Brett D'Oliveira.

The players were informed of the news of his death shortly before the start of todays LV County Championship match with Glamorgan at New Road.

He leaves his wife Tracey and three sons Marcus, Dominic and Brett."


Rest in peace Damian.

RIP.

Pack - that's very sad news. Horribly young.

Inevitably and understandably it is his father that will be much more remembered but Damian D'Oliveira's own contribution to our game as both a player and coach should not be ignored.

I remember him playing for Worcs during the 1980s when they were a hugely successful team, being winners of the Championship and in the one day game. Whilst his own performances were probably more steady than startling, he was a valuable cog in a highly effective machine. It is clear that his value to Worcs continued to be shown in his coaching role and, as Pack states, is indeed continuing to be shown through the success of his academy players.

may he RIP

to us at a distance in sub-continent we have't seen their cricket....but surname D'Oliveira is more know for the effect it had in making apartheid internationally famous ( infamous) .....and the ripple effects it had on sports and a society that now in 2014 has a " colored" captain for it's national team

It's ironic that the coloured cricket community in cricket are staunchly opposing a stand in Newlands being named after his father

Raf - do you know their reasoning? Seems very odd.

I'm off on holiday, Guilford, so I lack the motivation to give an extended response. At the same time though, I believe this should be responded to swiftly.

Essentially, Guilford, like all things done by people of colour during the apartheid era, the sending of Dolly to England was not merely an exercise in helping Dolly further his career. It was to be a political statement. It won't surprise you, I'm sure, to know that it took a lot of people to send Dolly to England, some of whom giving up the little money they had. In return, the expectation was that Dolly would be a trailblazer, a seventies era KP, setting up a path for coloured cricketers to play in England. The feeling amongst the coloured cricket community was and still is that he simply didn't do enough to further the cause.

Thanks, Raf. That's very interesting and - whether justified or not - sad.

I don't know enough of the detail of what went on at the time (social, political, historic, etc) to pass any proper judgment but I would say that if people were expecting a trailblazer in the mould of Kevin Pietersen then they chose the wrong person. Regardless of the different eras, two very different personalities. Basil D'Oliveira was always known in the UK for his quiet dignity and continues to be respected for that by many here, particularly of my generation; as a young lad, I saw him play in the first Test I went to - England v Pakistan, Edgbaston 1971. We got a hammering but escaped with a draw due in part to Dolly putting a brake on things with his slow medium bowling and getting a couple of wickets.

Enjoy your holiday.

RIP Dolly. So soon after Dolly senior.