Warwickshire record £1.7m profit for 2017-18 but turnover figure falls

Edgbaston will host five World Cup matches, including a semi-final, and an Ashes Test in 2019

Warwickshire recorded an operating profit of £1.7m for 2017-18, but their profit and turnover figures both fell from the previous year.

The club says the drop is down to four fewer major match days being staged at Edgbaston in 2018 than in 2017.

In addition, the Test between England and India finished on the fourth morning, leading to reduced ticket, catering and merchandise revenues.

On the pitch, the Bears won Division Two of the County Championship in 2018.

Warwickshire made a profit of £2.4m in 2016-17.

"Whilst the financial results in 2018 were below our expectations, we achieved our primary business objective of securing an excellent major match allocation for 2020-2024," said chief executive Neil Snowball.

Edgbaston will stage four Tests during that five-year time period, as well as T20 Blast Finals Days, and will host one of the teams in the new 100-ball tournament being introduced in 2020.

In 2019, there will be five matches in the 2019 World Cup, including a semi-final, and an Ashes Test between England and Australia played at the Birmingham ground.

"With major match cricket continuing to be the primary driver of revenue for the club, this strong allocation and new tournament opportunity underpins our long-term financial model," added chief operating officer Craig Flindall.