ALEX Gidman believes Brett D’Oliveira’s sensational all-round performance was the catalyst for Worcestershire’s recovery and fightback in the drawn Specsavers County Championship match with leaders Glamorgan at Cardiff.

D’Oliveira hit a first-innings century and picked up nine wickets in the game, including a career best 7-93, as his team-mates showed resilience during the final two days of the Division Two clash.

First-team coach Gidman said: “We were pretty disappointing during the first half of the game, the first two days.

"Glamorgan played exceptionally well and we didn’t play as well as we could have.

“But in the last two days, with the exception of the final session on the third day, we played really well and ended up deserving what we got out of the game.

“It was proper cricket, good cricket. Again credit to Glamorgan. They are top of the table and very confident and you can see why. They are bowling well and have got some batsmen in good form.

"You can see why they’ve had such a good season so far. We knew we had to fight and we certainly did that, particularly in the second half of the game.

“Brett produced an outstanding game of cricket from one individual. He single-handedly kept us in it.

“Sometimes it can take one person performing outstandingly like that to drag a few others with him and sub-consciously I think that’s what happened.

“We saw one guy play out of his socks and probably give the rest of us a bit of a lift because we knew we hadn’t played as well as we could have.

“It’s not a question of effort or desire. It wasn’t quite clicking and Dolly showed us how to do it and that gave us that confidence to kick on and to play as well as we did do, particularly on the fourth day and a bit on the third.”

Worcestershire were set a stiff target of 320 in 66 overs and Daryl Mitchell and Callum Ferguson hit unbeaten half-centuries to secure the share of the spoils.

Gidman said: “Was the run chase ever on? I don’t think so. It was going to be too much to ask.

"The wicket was getting drier and drier and sometimes you have to accept we didn’t play as well and to actually come out with a draw almost feels like a morale victory.

“It was an opportunity for any batsman to go and have some more time in the middle against a good attack on a still good wicket, albeit tiring.

“Daryl and Callum were desperate to occupy the crease for long periods of time and to bat 60-odd overs on the fourth day on a tiring wicket is still a challenge and those guys killed it (the game) off in that first session, the first 20 to 30 overs of our innings.

“They played extremely well and showed the quality they have and what we are capable of producing when we perform at our best.”

Worcestershire are sixth in the table, 46 points behind leaders Glamorgan but with two games in hand.

They have similar matches on hand on third-placed Sussex but with only 18 points to make up.

However, after two defeats in a row and then three consecutive draws the County's last Championship win was at home to struggling Durham in mid-May.

It is something Worcestershire will need to improve upon when they host Derbyshire at Kidderminster from Sunday.

The visitors are just two positions and six points better off having played one more game.