Kidderminster deal puts club on flood standby

Worcestershire have signed a deal which will allow county cricket to be transferred to Kidderminster Victoria CC at 48 hours notice in the event of a repeat of last summer's floods at New Road.

The county will invest a total of £50,000 into the Chester Road ground over a five-year period which will initially be invested in improving facilities for players and umpires.

"Our relationship with Kidderminster goes back many years and last summer they really helped us out when we needed it most," Mark Newton, Worcestershire's CEO, explained. "By the end of the summer it became clear that we needed to develop a robust contingency plan to deal with any repeat in future years and a key part of this plan is to secure an alternative venue at short notice in an emergency.

"This agreement is initially for five years and will mean we can transfer 1st XI cricket at 48 hours notice if necessary."