Floods and tears Worcestershire dig deep to shine despite adversity and tragedy

Somerset could still win their first County Championship title, while Surrey remain on for the three-peat.

- Taha Hashim

Gloucestershire's victory in the T20 Blast was particularly rousing - watched by David Lawrence, their club president so visibly confronted by the effects of motor neurone disease - but Worcestershire's tale may be the most remarkable of the summer, one of existential questions, tragedy and on-field joy.

Promotion to Division One was followed by winter floods - eight in total - that ravaged New Road, the club's idyllic ground by the River Severn. The venue is familiar with flooding, leading to the odd strange anecdote. "We've had players who have left their cars for overseas tours that have been seen floating along the car park," says the head coach, Alan Richardson.

But the situation is becoming increasingly serious and the club's chief executive, Ashley Giles, is threatening action. With the floods having forced Worcestershire to play their first two championship home games at Kidderminster, Giles has raised the possibility of leaving the ground, their home since the late 19th century. The club have commissioned consultants to assess available options, be it a redevelopment of the existing ground or a move away.