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.