New Road

The ground sits where the **River Severn** has threatened to return for decades, flooding the pitch at least thirty times since the end of the nineteenth century. It is not a fortress built by a construction firm but a place developed on land leased from the **Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral** in 1896. The club secretary Paul Foley obtained the agreement, and the first match was played in July 1897.

**Worcestershire County Cricket Club** has remained there ever since, purchasing the freehold in 1976. The name has changed over time; the current billing is **Visit Worcestershire New Road**, following a sponsorship deal announced in May 2024. The playing surface is natural grass, carrying the moisture-rich pitch typical of English county cricket.

The venue has hosted three Men's One Day Internationals, including World Cup matches in 1983 and 1999. It also saw nine Women's Test matches between 1951 and 2009, most notably the decisive 2005 Ashes victory for England Women. The highest recorded crowd, however, was not for cricket but for an Elton John concert in June 2006, drawing 17,000 people. Domestic records include triple centuries by Jack Robertson, Graeme Hick, and Glenn Turner. The capacity is listed as 4,900 by *Wikipedia* and *Visit Worcestershire*, though other sources cite 4,500. Minor renovations have occurred, including a new cricket shop and ticket office opened in July 2008 and the 'View' development. The address is **13 New Road**, Worcester.