Worcestershire have refused to blame Elton John for the lack of runs at New Road this season. The stage arrangements for a concert forced the county to play on the pavilion side of the square, where pitches retain more moisture, earlier in the season than usual. New Road�..s opening four first-class matches produced only one century and six wickets from 144 for spinners. �..The pitches have helped the seamers,�.� says Mark Newton, the county�..s chief executive, �..but whatever pitch you prepare it�..s the same for both teams.�.� The wickets for the first three first-class matches at New Road were all marked �..above average�.� by the umpires.

Meanwhile Steve Rhodes, director of cricket, can celebrate or drown his sorrows in the pavilion bar with a beer named after him. �..Bumpy�..s Brew�.. is produced by the Wolverhampton & Dudley Brewery. Having sampled a pint, TWC concurs with Rhodes�.. view that it is �..full of character and not too strong. A good beer to relax with.�.�
Paul Bolton, The Wisden Cricketer