Flooding robs Worcester of remaining Twenty20 games

Worcestershire have ruled out playing any of their remaining Twenty20 matches at New Road after the ground was flooded when the River Severn burst its banks after Monday's heavy rain.

The club failed in their attempt to rearrange today's Twenty20 home match with Warwickshire, and matches against Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan will not be played at headquarters and alternative venues are being sought.

Worcestershire had been keen to try to reschedule the game with local rivals Warwickshire after New Road was covered in several feet of water, but competition rules state matches cannot be played outside the county and it was too late to seek alternative sites.

A Worcestershire spokesperson said: "We are looking for different venues in the county for the remaining three home matches but they will definitely not be played at New Road."

Worcestershire will be counting the cost as all four matches were virtual sell-outs of the 5,000 capacity ground. The revenue they would have expected from corporate hospitality has also been severely hit.

New Road floods regularly during winter but it is highly unusual in the middle of summer. The last time it happened during a campaign was in May 1969, when the County Championship match with Middlesex had to be switched to Dudley.

Worcestershire's commercial manager, David Leatherdale, said: "There is already two feet of water on the ground and it is still rising. It would have been impossible to play [today] and it is a big blow in terms of all the hospitality which will have to be cancelled.

"This is an absolute nightmare," he continued. "I wouldn't like to put a figure on what it is going to cost."