CHIEF executive Mark Newton has admitted that Worcestershire took 'drastic action' during the close season to improve the New Road wicket.

The benefits of that decision were demonstrated yesterday with Graeme Hick and Ben Smith producing their record-breaking 417-run stand against Gloucestershire.

Newton paid tribute to head groundsman Tim Packwood and his staff for their efforts in improving the square.

He said: "I think it has been for many years regarded as a difficult wicket, but we wanted to resolve that.

"The way we've done it is very simple - we took a big risk in the autumn.

"We shaved about a centimetre off the top of the square right the way across. We effectively took out all the grass and all the roots and ended up with bare soil. That was treated, re-seeded and worked on through the winter. In December I was actually very worried. Then the floods came, but fortunately it has worked and we have got an even growth of new grass and the roots are now growing downwards whereas before they were growing sideways because of the repeated levels of silt that had been left.

"The grass is growing evenly and that has enabled Tim to actually mow the grass a lot closer than he has been able to in previous years without wrecking the wicket.

"We are reaping the dividends of the work that has been done last autumn.

"Players can't make excuses about bad wickets or uneven bounce if they are given good wickets to play on and my view is that our job off the field is to make sure that they get the best possible wickets.

"We had to take drastic action. It was a risk, but it has been worth it."