Worcestershire are facing financial disaster after their New Road ground flooded ahead of what would have been the most lucrative week of their season.

Heavy rain in recent weeks has caused the Rivers Severn and Teme to burst their banks and the pitch at New Road was last night under two feet of water. Water levels are expected to rise further in the next 24 hours.

The timing could not be worse. Worcestershire were scheduled to host four Twenty20 Cup games in the next eight days. The vast majority of tickets was sold for all games — the only occasion in the season when the ground would have been full — and the lost revenue will bite deep into a small club who have generated modest profits of around #50,000 per annum in recent years. It is the first time since 1969 that the ground has flooded during a season.

Tonight's game against Warwickshire has been abandoned. Each sides will take a point. The common sense solution would have been to stage the match at Edgbaston, but sense is anything but common. Especially at the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Warwickshire's chief executive, Colin Povey, phoned Worcestershire yesterday to offer Edgbaston as the venue for tonight's game. Derbyshire and Gloucestershire also offered to host games.

The ECB vetoed the idea, however, stating that hosting the game at Edgbaston would give Warwickshire an unfair advantage. Rule 40 of the relevant playing conditions states: "... consideration will be given to a change of venue if the change will significantly improve the prospects of play... [but] the venue must be within the county concerned or a recognised venue used by the county in question."

The regulations also state, however, that "the ECB retains ultimate discretion [and] shall be entitled to amend or vary [the rules]." It does seem a shame that such a high-profile game as the Twenty20 derby could not be rescheduled. This is meant to be a spectator sport, after all.

There is precedent for such a move, too. In 2004, for example, the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy game against Shropshire was rescheduled to Edgbaston due to a waterlogged pitch at Wellington. The ECB issued a statement last night indicating that they would look at amending the regulations ahead of the 2008 season.

"This will hurt us deeply, both on and off the field," Mark Newton, Worcestershire's chief executive, said. "Off-field, the consequences are very serious, but not fatal. Our finances are in good shape.

"We were budgeting to make a slight loss this year anyway, but this is a very, very serious blow. Any chance we had of making a surplus this year have been washed away. This is our most lucrative match of the season. It was a sell-out. We will lose between #60-70,000. If any more games are lost, that figure will go above #100,000. We are not able to take out insurance against floods."

The club were also due to host Twenty20 games against Northamptonshire on Friday, Gloucestershire on Sunday and Glamorgan the following Thursday. All are in severe doubt, as is the County Championship game against Kent commencing on July 8. The club are looking into playing the games at Ombersley, Barnt Green or, most likely, Kidderminster.

If those venues are not available, or are not deemed suitable, Worcestershire will effectively be eliminated from the Twenty20 Cup. Without a win so far, a point from each abandonment would give them no chance of progressing. "We do hope to find another venue," Newton said. "If necessary, we will play without spectators.

"I don't accept that this will end our hopes in the Twenty20. It's certainly my most difficult day as chief executive of the club but my staff have all worked incredibly hard and lots of people have phoned and offered their help.

"On the bright side, all the alcohol is safe. After a day like this, I think we all deserve a drink."