A QUIRK of fate has paired Worcestershire with the Worcestershire Cricket Board in the third round of next season's Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.

The Board will be the home side and discussions are to take place to decide if the tie on Wednesday, May 7 will take place at New Road or Kidderminster's Chester Road ground.

Worcestershire CB guaranteed themselves a home fixture earlier this month when they secured a comfortable six-wicket win over their Sussex counterparts at Kidderminster.

It is the first time the Cricket Board side have reached this stage of the competition, having seen off Dorset in the first round.

Board secretary and team manager Allan Scrafton said of the draw: "It's something we didn't expect.

"We would perhaps have rather had Surrey or Yorkshire rather than our own county, but we've got Worcestershire so it should be interesting."

He added that talks would be held between the Board and the County's Chief Executive Mark Newton about the venue for the tie.

Skipper Graeme Hick's Worcestershire side reached the quarter-finals last season before losing to Somerset at Taunton.

Don't miss Saturday's Evening News for a comprehensive review of Worcestershire's 2002 season.