In 1896, the leasehold was obtained by club secretary Paul Foley upon payment of a modest rent,[2][3] and the first match (against Berkshire) was played there on 28–29 July[4][5] of the following year.

[6][7] At the time, Worcestershire was part of the newly created Minor Counties Championship, which Foley had been largely responsible in establishing.

[8] The first County Championship match at New Road was held on 4–6 May 1899, when the home side lost to Yorkshire by 11 runs.

In April 2024, Worcestershire's board confirmed that they were looking at options to secure the club's long-term future, possibly including a move away from New Road.

[15][16] Speaking on the BBC's Test Match Special podcast, chief executive Ashley Giles explained that of the 30 occasions on which the ground had been flooded since 1899, 19 incidents had occurred in the past 24 years, and the problem was expected to get worse due to climate change.