New Road outfield like 'jelly-blancmange'

Worcestershire and Kent suffered a third consecutive blank day in their ill-fated Division Two fixture at New Road.

Further rain after Monday's call-off topped up the saturated ground and despite bright sunshine this morning, umpires Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth ruled out any play following an inspection at 12.30pm.

New Road groundsman Tim Packwood has explained how the situation developed. He said: "The ground was playable on Friday. If anything, the rain on Saturday afternoon was a lot heavier than anticipated.

"That probably topped it up to the levels where it was touch and go on Monday as to whether the players would get on.

"But there were just areas of the ground where, the best way to describe it, was that it had turned to like a jelly-blancmange. So when you put your foot down, it wasn't actually wet on the surface but the ground was starting to move because of the height of the water table."

Meetings between the two counties have been blighted by bad weather since 2007 when the teams managed to play for only one of the eight days in the home-and-away games.

Not a ball was bowled in the match at Worcester and the solitary action that season was on the final day at Canterbury. In 2014, the last time the clubs met in the championship, only 17 overs were bowled on the final three days at Tunbridge Wells.

Kent's captain Sam Northeast did not hide his ire. "We turned up on the first day and knew pretty much straight away there would be no play over the four days," he said. "It is unacceptable. This is not bad luck. I'd like to think there could have been something done.

"We have had days of sun but not played any cricket. It's not fair on the fans that travelled, sorted out hotels or taken time off work.