WORCESTERSHIRE chief executive Mark Newton has stood by his controversial decision to stage the Championship match with Kent at flood-ravaged New Road - despite the first day being called off without a ball being bowled.

Newton admitted playing the four-day game at the county's headquarters was influenced by the need to make the ground playable for this Friday's money-spinning televised Pro40 League game with Shane Warne's Hampshire.

Had Worcestershire switched the match to Kidderminster, then there would have been insufficient groundstaff left at New Road for mopping up operations to ensure the 40-over clash with Hampshire - worth £80,000 to £100,000 in revenue - could go ahead.

Worcestershire have already lost £170,000 after all four home Twenty20 games were abandoned or moved.

Newton said: "Cricket is the most important thing.

"By not playing today, I know there will be some criticism - and I will have to accept that. I made the decision for better or worse.

"The easy decision would have been to go to Kidderminster, forget the day-night game on Friday - and then we'd have another couple of weeks before the Lancashire championship match to clear things up.

"But the game on Friday is hugely important to us financially. We've already lost a huge sum of money."