Worcestershire cricket will receive a "real bonus" for staging an Elton John concert next summer.

The club expect to welcome 20,000 visitors to New Road on Sunday June 11 for the event, creating valuable exposure and revenue.

Worcestershire have agreed a guaranteed lump sum for the concert which will equate to the amount earned from a sold-out Twenty20 match at the ground. The good news does not stop there, however.

"This is important for us commercially but it is perhaps more important from a PR point of view," Mark Newton, the club's chief executive, said.

"We'll be attracting an audience of 20,000 through the gates just a couple of weeks before the start of the Twenty20 Cup. That gives us a huge opportunity to encourage them back. Events like this really help us break down barriers.

"It's a real bonus to a club of our size. It is fair to say that it will also help us invest in our squad, our academy and in grassroots cricket."

Attracting Elton John is a real coup for Worcestershire. Counties have been encouraged to become less reliant on the central pool of money allocated by the England and Wales Cricket Board, and non-match day events like these are likely to become more common. Kent and Durham also announced plans to host Elton John concerts yesterday. Somerset hope to confirm a date shortly.

There may be concern about staging a major event in the middle of the cricket season. Despite the number of spectators on the pitch, Newton is confident that covers protecting the square will be adequate and foresees no problems. While previous concerts at New Road have been staged with the Cathedral as a backdrop, Mr John will play to a backdrop of the Ladies' Pavilion.

Tickets for the concert at New Road will be available from 9am on Monday. They start at £40. Call 0871 230 5442 for details.

Hospitality packages are also available. Call 01905 337 933 for details.

* Tickets will also go on sale from 10am on Monday for international cricket at Edgbaston next season.

Edgbaston hosts the Second npower Test match against Sri Lanka from May 25 to 29, and the NatWest one-day international against Pakistan on Sunday September 10.

Tickets will be available online at www.edgbaston.com or by calling 0870 062 1902.

They start at £35 (adults) for the Test and £45 for the ODI.