New Road, Worcester

The ground is situated in central Worcester, on the west bank of the River Severn, overlooked by Worcester Cathedral on the opposite bank. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name. To the northwest is Cripplegate Park.

Originally, the freehold to the ground was owned by the Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral. In 1896, the leasehold was obtained by club secretary Paul Foley upon payment of a modest rent,{{sfnp|Lemmon|1989|pp=17–18}}{{cite news |author= |date=17 October 1896 |title=Worcestershire Cricket Club Annual Meeting |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/401024314/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Berrow's Worcester Journal |issue=10950 |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} and the first match (against Berkshire) was played there on 28–29 July{{cite news |author= |date=16 April 1897 |title=Cricket in 1897 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/803452622/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |issue=13082 |location=London |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |date=29 July 1897 |title=To-day's Cricket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/814597596/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Evening Express |issue=8128 |location=Liverpool |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} of the following year.{{cite news |author= |date=15 October 1897 |title=Worcestershire County Cricket Club |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/814261827/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |volume=71 |issue=9235 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |date=2 August 1897 |title=Observer's Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/816565397/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |volume=71 |issue=9181 |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} At the time, Worcestershire was part of the newly created Minor Counties Championship, which Foley had been largely responsible in establishing. Having won the competition in its first four years, from 1895 to 1898, the club applied successfully for first-class status.{{sfnp|Vockins|1980|p=9}} The first County Championship match at New Road was held on 4–6 May 1899, when the home side lost to Yorkshire by 11 runs.{{sfnp|Vockins|1980|pp=17–19}} The land was finally purchased in 1976 for the sum of £30,000.{{sfnp|Lemmon|1989|p=197}}{{cite news |last=White |first=John |date=7 August 1976 |title=A Shot-in-the-arm |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/806404369/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Sports Argus |location=Birmingham |page=17 |via=Newspapers.com}} The capacity of the ground is 4,500, small by first-class standards.{{cn|date=November 2018}}

There is a small cricket shop located just outside the ground, selling cricket equipment, clothing, books and accessories. This shop opened in July 2008, replacing a long-standing older shop inside the ground. The shop also contains the administrative office for ticket sales and enquiries.{{citation needed|date=August 2010}}

Elton John performed to a crowd of 17,000 at the ground in June 2006.{{cite news |last=Walden |first=Celia |date=14 June 2006 |title=Elton rocket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/753253984/ |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |issue=46972 |location=London |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2006/06/07/elton_john_concert_layout_feature.shtml|title = BBC - Hereford and Worcester - in Pictures - Elton John Concert Layout}}

In winter, the ground is often submerged by water from the nearby river, and was severely affected by the floods of July 2007. These caused more than one million pounds in damage, and cricket did not return to the ground until the beginning of the following season.{{cite news |editor-last=Kidd |editor-first=Patrick |editor-link=Patrick Kidd |date=23 April 2008 |title=Worcestershire flooded with optimism |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/cricket/article/april-23-the-county-set-dmmz7wt0srn |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The Times |issue=69305 |location=London |page=69}}

Over the winter of 2023–24 the ground was flooded seven times, which resulted in the first two home games of the 2024 County Championship being played at the Chester Road North Ground in Kidderminster. In April 2024, Worcestershire's board confirmed that they were looking at options to secure the club's long-term future, possibly including a move away from New Road.{{cite web |author= |date=3 April 2024 |title=Worcestershire consider move away from New Road after latest floods |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/worcestershire-consider-new-road-move-after-flooding-1427647 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=26 May 2024}}{{cite web |author= |date=15 April 2024 |title=Worcestershire willing to consider move away from New Road to secure club's 'long-term future' |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/68821933 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415182738/https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/68821933 |archive-date=15 April 2024 |website=BBC Sport |location=London |access-date=26 May 2024}} Speaking on the BBC's Test Match Special podcast, chief executive Ashley Giles explained that of the 30 occasions on which the ground had been flooded since 1899, 19 incidents had occurred in the past 24 years, and the problem was expected to get worse due to climate change.{{cite podcast |author=Howells, Kevin (host) |date=22 May 2024 |title=County Cricket: 'The situation is worsening at New Road' |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hzp15d |website=Test Match Special |location=London |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 May 2024}}

File:New Road Worcester - 3 - geograph-891443.jpg]]

File:New road flooded.jpg

New Road has hosted three men's One Day Internationals: one in the 1983 World Cup, when Gordon Greenidge scored 105 not out (the only men's international century at the ground) to take the West Indies to an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe;[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/43/43605.html West Indies v Zimbabwe, 2003] and two in the 1999 World Cup: a six-wicket victory for Australia over Scotland[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/67/67668.html Australia v Scotland, 1999] and a four-wicket victory for Sri Lanka over Zimbabwe.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/67/67719.html Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, 1999]

The ground has also seen nine Women's Test matches between 1951 and 2009, including the England Women's decisive victory during the 2005 Ashes, in which Katherine Brunt scored 52 and took match figures of 9/111;{{cite web | url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/14825/scorecard/216932/england-women-vs-australia-women-2nd-test-australia-women-tour-of-england-2005 | title=Full Scorecard of England Women vs Australia Women 2nd Test 2005 - Score Report | publisher=ESPNcricinfo.com | access-date=29 July 2019}}[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/67/67090/67090.html England Women v Australia Women, 2005] Brunt also took a first-innings 6/69 in the 2009 Ashes Test at Worcester, which was drawn.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/204/204506.html England Women v Australia Women, 2009]{{cite web | url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/13617/scorecard/383288/england-women-vs-australia-women-only-test-australia-women-tour-of-england-2009 | title=Full Scorecard of England Women vs Australia Women Only Test 2009 - Score Report | publisher=ESPNcricinfo.com | access-date=29 July 2019}} It has staged seven Women's ODI between 2000 and 2021,{{cite web |title=Cricket Records in ENG: County Ground, New Road, Worcester in Women ODI matches |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/ground/team-match-results/eng-county-ground-new-road-worcester-216/women-s-one-day-internationals-9 |publisher=Espncricinfo |access-date=15 April 2024}} and one Women's Twenty20 International in 2022.{{cite web |title=Cricket Records in ENG: County Ground, New Road, Worcester in Women T20I matches |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/ground/team-match-results/eng-county-ground-new-road-worcester-216/women-s-twenty20-internationals-10 |publisher=Espncricinfo |access-date=15 April 2024}}

The England Lions (formerly England A) played a four-day match against the Australian touring side at New Road in 2009; in a drawn match, Mike Hussey (150) and Marcus North (191 not out) made runs, while Worcestershire's Stephen Moore responded with 120; Brett Lee took 6/76.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/170/170350.html England Lions v Australians, 2009]

• Matches: 3
• Highest team total:
  218/2 (48.3 overs) by West Indies v. Zimbabwe, 1983
• Lowest team total:
  181/7 (50 overs) by Scotland v. Australia, 1999
• Highest individual innings:
  105* by Gordon Greenidge for West Indies v. Zimbabwe, 1983
• Best bowling in an innings:
  3–30 by Pramodya Wickramasinghe for Sri Lanka v. Zimbabwe, 1999

• Matches: 9
• Highest team total:
  427/4 declared by Australia Women v. England Women, 1998[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/66/66364.html England Women v Australia Women, 1998]
• Lowest team total:
  63 by New Zealand Women v. England Women, 1954[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21184.html England Women v. New Zealand Women, 1954]
• Highest individual innings:
  190 by Sandhya Agarwal, India Women v. England Women, 1986[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/47/47571.html England Women v. India Women, 1986]
• Best bowling in an innings:
  7/34 by Gill McConway, England Women v. India Women, 1986
• Best bowling in a match:
  9/107 by Mary Duggan for England Women v. Australia Women, 1951[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19826.html England Women v Australia Women, 1951]
  9/111 by Katherine Brunt for England Women v. Australia Women, 2005

• Highest team total:
  701/4 declared by Leicestershire v. Worcestershire, 1906[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7092.html Worcs v Leics, 1906]
  701/6 declared by Worcestershire v Surrey, 2007[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/107/107722.html Worcs v Surrey, 2007]
• Lowest team total:
  30 by Hampshire v. Worcestershire, 1903[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6229.html Worcs v Hants, 1903]
• Triple centuries:
  331* by Jack Robertson for Middlesex v. Worcestershire, 1949[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19009.html Worcs v Middx, 1949]
  315* by Graeme Hick for Worcestershire v. Durham, 2002[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/74/74889.html Worcs v Durham, 2002]
  311* by Glenn Turner for Worcestershire v. Warwickshire, 1982[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/42/42321.html Worcs v Warwicks, 1982]
• Ten wickets in an innings:
  10–51 by Jack Mercer for Glamorgan v. Worcestershire, 1936[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15937.html Worcs v Glam, 1936]
  10–76 by Jack White for Somerset v. Worcestershire, 1921Same match. [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10147.html Worcs v Somst, 1921]
• Fifteen wickets in a match:
  15–106 by Reg Perks for Worcestershire v. Essex, 1937[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/16/16349.html Worcs v Essex, 1937]
  15–175 by Jack White for Somerset v. Worcestershire, 1921

• Highest team total:
  404/3 (60 overs) by Worcestershire v. Devon, 1987Same match. [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/48/48833.html Worcs v Devon, 1987]
• Lowest team total:
  45 (23.4 overs) by Hampshire v. Worcestershire, 1988[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/50/50084.html Worcs v Hants, 1988]
• Highest individual innings:
  172* by Graeme Hick v. Devon, 1987
• Best bowling in an innings:
  6–14 by Jack Flavell for Worcestershire v. Lancashire, 1963[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/26/26247.html Worcs v Lancs, 1963]
  6–14 by Howard Cooper for Yorkshire v. Worcestershire, 1975[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/35/35193.html Worcs v Yorks, 1975]
  6–16 by Shoaib Akhtar for Worcestershire v. Gloucestershire, 2005[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/83/83444.html Worcs v Gloucs, 2005]

• List of cricket grounds in England and Wales

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Lemmon |first=David |date=1989 |title=The Official History of Worcestershire County Cricket Club |location=London |publisher=Christopher Helm |isbn=0747020132}}
• {{cite book |last=Vockins |first=M. D. |date=1980 |title=Worcestershire Country Cricket Club: A Pictorial History |location=London |publisher=Severn House |isbn=072780619X}}

{{coord|52|11|21|N|2|13|37|W|type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Worcestershire CCC}}

{{Central Sparks}}

{{Cricket in England}}

Category:Cricket grounds in Worcestershire

Category:Sport in Worcester, England

Category:Roads in Worcestershire

Category:Transport in Worcester, England

Category:Sports venues completed in 1896