Worcestershire rename New Road again

Worcestershire's home will become known as Visit Worcestershire New Road

Worcestershire have renamed their Worcester home for the second time in seven years.

New Road first attracted naming rights in 2017 when it was rebranded as ‘Blackfinch New Road’ in what was initially contracted to be a five-year agreement.

That ended in the Covid year of 2020, since when the ground, the Pears’ home since they first began playing County Championship cricket in 1899, has been without a sponsor.

But the ground will now officially be known as Visit Worcestershire New Road following sponsorship from the local tourist board.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Visit Worcestershire in renaming our historic ground,” said Pears chief executive Ashley Giles.

“This collaboration is a perfect blend of sports and tourism, providing a unique platform to highlight what makes Worcestershire such a special place."

The new name will be used for the first time at this weekend’s first Championship home game in Worcester – against Nottinghamshire.

Giles has already admitted the long-term prospects for the famously picturesque 159-year-old ground are not good, given the worsening weather – and the county’s annual fight against flooding from the nearby River Severn.

Although they have in recent summers been given two weeks’ grace by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and have not had to host any home games until the last two weeks in April, New Road’s eighth flood of the winter still meant they had to move their first two scheduled home matches this season to Kidderminster.

The Pears are resigned to the idea of having to find a new home within the next 20 years but this latest venture with ‘Visit Worcestershire’, the official ‘local visitor economy partnership’ for the county, will at least help them financially.

This weekend’s four-day game, starting on Friday, is the Pears’ first at home since the sad passing of young Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker.

The Pears have already announced that they will all play in shirts with Baker’s number 33 on for the rest of the season.