PEARS chief Matt Rawnsley has revealed the club’s pride in welcoming the touring Australian side to New Road next summer for a three-day clash during the Ashes series.
The Australians have been involved in many memorable tour games at the county’s headquarters over many decades dating back to when Sir Donald Bradman used to regularly score centuries and double hundreds on the ground.
Next year’s match will take place at New Road from August 7 to 9 and is positioned in between the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston and the second contest at Lord’s.
The last meeting between the Australians and Worcestershire was in 2013 when Nick Compton guested for the county in a bid to boost his claims for a place in the Test series and scored 79.
“We once again feel very privileged and honoured to be staging a game against Australia and I’m sure it’s a fixture members and supporters will look forward to with relish,” Rawnsley said.
“It adds that little bit extra to what is already an exciting programme of domestic cricket in the Specsavers County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup and the Vitality Blast.
“There have been some memorable fixtures with Australia in the past and at one time Worcestershire always traditionally played host to the touring side in their first match of the summer.
“It’s also a great chance for our players to put their skills against some of the very best players and can only be a great learning experience.”
The last time Worcestershire faced a full touring side was in 2017 when they did battle with South Africa in their final match before the first Test with England at Lord’s that summer.
Worcestershire will also be taking on an Australian ‘A’ team in a one-day match at Blackfinch New Road on June 25.
The county will in addition stage the ODI between England Women and West Indies Women in their second ODI of the summer on June 9.
The international programme is another feather in the cap for the county who have hosted many such international matches in recent years. The tour matches fixtures means a minimum of 44 days cricket will be staged at Blackfinch New Road next summer.
Ticket information about the fixture will be released next week.