Worcestershire Look to Kiddy Switch - Confirmed

Worcestershire have confirmed their County Championship match against Sussex in April will be played at Kidderminster due to flooding.

New Road in Worcester has been under water for 62 days since last October with two floods since the new year.

Worcestershire chairman Fanos Hira confirmed switching the game to Sussex's Hove ground was not possible.

The game, scheduled to start on 25 April, will now be played at Kidderminster's Chester Road ground.

Summer flooding last season also forced the corresponding fixture between the two counties to be switched to Kidderminster in June and Worcestershire also hosted Derbyshire.

"Both away teams were complimentary of how Kidderminster Cricket Club coped and we were also very appreciative," Hira said.

"They have been excellent partners and we're delighted to have extended and deepened our relationship with them for 2020 and 2021."

Worcestershire begin their County Championship Division Two campaign away against Middlesex at Lord's on 12 April.

BBCSport 28/02

Worcestershire: Pears ready to switch games to Kidderminster again after New Road flood

Worcestershire are already preparing to switch their first County Championship home game to Kidderminster following their latest severe flood at New Road.

The Pears' first home match with Sussex on 25 April is now highly likely to move to Chester Road, but that decision can be delayed until early April.

And Sussex have already turned down the option of swapping home fixtures.

"We hope it's only one game that we'll have to play at Kidderminster," said Worcestershire chairman Fanos Hira.

"The main problem is that the water is higher than we've previously seen. There will be significant repair costs.

"We would still prefer to play games here if we can. Our Championship gates were severely impacted by the move last summer. But, if we can't, then we want to play at Kidderminster.

"We've just signed an extended contract with them to be our second home. They've done a brilliant job for us."

Sussex happy to come back to Kiddy

Chester Road used to be a regular haunt for Worcestershire in Championship cricket before counties opted to make more use of their headquarters and less use of outgrounds.

But since Kidderminster lost its annual fixture in 2002, the county have only staged five four-day games there - two following the great summer flood of 2007, another in 2008 and then two more in June 2019 when Worcester suffered another bad summer flood.

The first of those two games in 2019 was against Sussex - and the visitors were sufficiently happy with the quality of the pitch and the facilities to be happy to return there.

"We did look at the option of swapping with Sussex, who we are due to play at Hove in August," Hira added to BBC Hereford & Worcester. "But we totally understand their rationale for not doing so.

"They are more than happy to come to Kidderminster again. Their coach Jason Gillespie was very positive about how Kidderminster coped.

"But it's still an 'if' at the moment. We won't know until early April."

Hira's latest concern is counting the cost of yet another New Road flood - but points out that it does not compare to the damage inflicted on some local residents.

"We've become quite adept at dealing with this. A lot of the costs are mitigated," he said. "But there are close to 500 homes impacted in the county. That's where our first thoughts lie.

"The least we can do is to offer those families impacted a chance to come and watch some cricket here this summer. There's lots we can do to help.

"As far as our square is concerned, we reseed, we repair and we go again. But most of our facilities are above the flood plain. We're warm and dry and most of the function rooms are in use so the impact there is slight.

"Some machinery is under water. One blotter we may have lost was an old one.

"We're slightly concerned about the Ladies Pavilion, as to whether there might be structural repair damage.

"And it sadly appears to be a dirty flood. We've already estimated 120 labour days to clean up the whole stadium."

Fanos Hira was talking to BBC Hereford & Worcester's Sally Bentley-Read.

wccc.co.uk

Worcestershire Seconds will launch their 2020 Championship programme with a home fixture.

New Seconds coach Kadeer Ali will oversee his first Championship match in charge against Northamptonshire at Kidderminster’s Chester Road ground.

The match will get underway on April 14 with the competition this summer consisting of four-day matches.

The Championship will emulate the senior programme in starting and ending with a sizeable block of red ball cricket.

Worcestershire will play six home and four away Championship fixtures – with a home and away meeting with Leicestershire.

Kidderminster will play host to three Championship fixtures with one apiece being staged at Blackfinch New Road, Barnt Green and Stourbridge.

After the initial block of Championship cricket, T20 will take centre stages for the Seconds, again replicating the seniors schedule at that juncture of the season.

This year the majority of T20 days will consist of one match, as opposed to the two in the past, although there will be double headers versus Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.

There is little Seconds cricket planned for July and the first part of August when The Hundred is taking place for the first time.

With seven Worcestershire players participating in The Hundred, players will have the chance to step up to the plate and stake their claim for a senior spot.

The 2020 season will end with a quartet of Championship matches.

The full list of Seconds fixtures and venues is:
—
APRIL

1 Somerset Taunton Vale (two days) – F

5 Shropshire Wrekin College (one day) – F

8 Gloucs Kidderminster (two days) – F

14 Northants Kidderminster – SEC

20 Warwicks Barnt Green (a) – SEC
—
MAY

4 Leics Blackfinch New Road – SEC

11 Warwicks Portland Road – SEFT20 (two games)

15 Somerset Taunton Vale – SEF20

19 Leics Stourport – SET20

20 Yorks Kidderminster – SET20

21 Durham Barnt Green – SET20

25 Warwicks Portland Road – SET20 (two games)

28 Northants Stourport – SET20 (two games)
—
JUNE

2 Lancs Liverpool – SET20

3 Derbys Derby – SET20

4 Notts Trent College – SET20

8 Kent-Sussex Beckenham-Polo – SEC

29 Middlesex Barnt Green – SEC
—
JULY

6 Leics Witham Hall School SEC

15 Warwicks Blackfinch New Road (one day) – F
—
AUGUST

17 Glamorgan Stourbridge – SEC

24 Notts Kidderminster – SEC
—

SEPTEMBER

1 Yorks Headingley – SEC

7 Lancs Kidderminster – SEC

*SEC = Second Eleven Championship

*SET20 = Second Eleven T20 competition

*F = Friendly

*SEFT20 = T20 Friendly