WELL, after 10 months, county cricket is finally set to return to New Road - that's what everybody is hoping any way.

Forget the all-sparkling, all-shining new Indian Premier League, where some of the sport's biggest star are earning upwards of $1million, this is what everyone in Worcestershire has been waiting for.

The County were able to get two days cricket on their hallowed turf earlier this month, but Wednesday is what everyone has been waiting for - a match that actually means something.

Leicestershire, one of the sides to come to Worcestershire for a pre-season friendly, are the team in waiting for Steve Rhodes' new look outfit and that means a competitive return for Nadeem Malik.

Told he was free to leave in the winter, Malik went back to his native East Midlands and signed for the Foxes.

When the seamer, who frustrated many last season with his disappointing form, returned at the beginning of April he showed one of the reasons he was let go in the first place - dropping a simple catch to let Graeme Hick of the hook.

But the Nottingham-born man proved in Leicestershire's first match of the campaign that he can be a useful bowler taking three first innings wickets against Middlesex.

That'll be of no concern to Worcestershire though. What will be of concern to them is whether the weather can hold off to allow the game to go ahead.

River levels are back to normal, but it is the water table that has people at New Road worried.

According to chief executive Mark Newton the water levels are just one-and-a-half inches below the surface.

April has lived up to its reputation with plenty of showers and, had Worcestershire not played at New Road for such a long time, perhaps they wouldn't have gambled on playing two friendlies there.

The groundstaff have worked extremely hard to get the ground up to scratch and, while the County are saying that it is not 100 per cent sorted, all the facilities will be up and running on Wednesday.

Considering New Road was under water when the players returned to pre-season training in March, that is some achievement.

Everyone hopes that this season not only sees more success, after all Rhodes' men did win the NatWest Pro40 title last term, but more cricket and less of the weather forecast.

The only forecast Worcestershire fans want to see is that it will be raining runs at New Road for the County.