It's a year ago today since Damian D'Oliveira passed away – but his memory lives on at New Road.
Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes broke the sad news to the players of Damian's death an hour before the start of play in the home game with Glamorgan on June 29 last year.
Many of them were in tears, products of the county's Academy which was overseen to great effect by Damian in his role as Academy director.
And it is those players, many of whom are currently part of the first team squad, who ensure that Damian's influence is still felt strongly at the club and will be for many years to come.
From long-serving skipper Daryl Mitchell through to Joe Clarke and Ed Barnard, the latest Academy products to make their first team debut, there is a huge debt of thanks to the help they received from Damian in the formative years of their careers.
The high esteem and affection Damian was held in was evident when hundreds of Worcestershire supporters, players and officials past and present attended a Thanksgiving Service at New Road in late July.
One year later those feelings are as strong as ever.
Damian was a Worcestershire player for 13 years from 1982-1995 – one of the golden periods in the county's history – and then Academy Director from 2000 onwards before losing his long and brave battle against cancer.
