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WORCESTERSHIRE'S New Road will play a part in the Ashes series next summer after it was announced that England Lions will play Australia at the County's home.

Following last summer's devastation from the floods, Worcestershire's chief executive Mark Newton is delighted that the England and Wales Cricket Board has chosen to come back.

The four-day match will be the Baggy Green's last game before the start of the first Ashes Test at the Swalec Stadium and will begin on Wednesday July 1.

"This is the closest we will get to having a Test match here," Newton said. "It's been on the cards for a few weeks now and I'm really pleased that we have got this game.

"It is something that we asked for and after last year this is terrific."

The County's chief executive is hoping Worcestershire will have more than just a staging role next July.

Newton added: "England Lions have said all along that they will pick who they feel should be picked. We don't have any players in the development squad at the moment.

"But we are a year away from that at the moment and we have some good, young players, so the perfect scenario will be to have two Worcestershire players in that squad."

10:48am Monday 5th May 2008

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