Worcestershire exploring transfer clear of New Highway to "be certain long-term long run"

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Worcestershire County Cricket Membership has showed they’re going to discover an everlasting transfer clear of New Highway within the coming months in a bid to keep the long-term long run of the county.

New Highway, which has been Worcestershire’s house floor since 1899, is constructed on a floodplain which relieves the River Severn, inflicting floods that have constantly affected their season. The bottom flooded seven occasions over the 2023-24 iciness, ensuing within the membership transferring their first two County Championship fits to Kidderminster. In 2014, following 8 floods in 18 months, Worcestershire spent between £7 million and £8 million making New Highway extra flood-resistant.

The expectancy stays that cricket will go back to New Highway from Might 24. Alternatively, additional dangerous climate may have an effect on Worcestershire’s T20 Blast marketing campaign, with their first house fixture because of happen on Might 31 in opposition to Lancashire Lightning. As a non-Take a look at venue, the Blast supplies necessary matchday income for the membership. They are going to additionally host a girls’s ODI between England Girls and New Zealand on June 30.

Talking previous this month, leader government Ashley Giles said any longer extend in web hosting cricket at New Highway can be “devastating” and floated the speculation of transferring the membership to a brand new house.

“I do not believe we will be able to elevate on like this,” Giles informed BBC Hereford and Worcester. “It is costing us some huge cash. We are going to lose nearly two months of a six-month season. The bottom is right here to level cricket, to be a venue for leisure and hospitality. However stipulations are apparently getting worse.”

A remark launched by means of Worcestershire on Monday showed the board are actually actively exploring their choices:

“Given the new unheard of report quantity of flooding at New Highway, and the expanding regularity of flooding, the Board of Worcestershire County Cricket Membership understands the very actual problems in regards to the sustainability of the Membership.

“As a Board, we will be able to make it our key precedence to discover each and every possibility, together with a transfer from New Highway, over the following couple of months so we will be able to give you the club and key stakeholders with a plan.

“That is to make sure the long-term long run of Worcestershire County Cricket Membership.”

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