Worcestershire climbed off the bottom of the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group A as Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal bowled them to a 23-run victory over Derbyshire under the County Ground floodlights.
Ajmal took 4-24 in seven overs as Derbyshire lost their last five wickets in 19 balls chasing the Royals' 197-8 in a game reduced to 36 overs a side by rain.
Vikram Solanki made 84 from 77 balls - his best one-day score of the season - but Wes Durston pegged Worcestershire back with 3-7 in two overs.
The Royals lost five wickets in 23 balls and the Falcons were well placed with Martin Guptill scoring 64 from 72 balls but, despite a run-a-ball 45 from Wayne Madsen, they had no answer to Ajmal and were bowled out for 174.
Worcestershire had also started well, with Solanki and skipper Daryl Mitchell (41) adding 78 in 11 overs, but they were unable to build on that platform and lost wickets trying to clear the ropes.
The Royals should easily have passed 200 but good catching in the deep allowed Durston to prey on over-ambition in the closing overs.
Imperious drives
Derbyshire lost Chesney Hughes to a well-judged catch by a back-pedalling Ajmal in the third over but Guptill unleashed some imperious drives to put the Falcons on course.
The New Zealander drove Jack Shantry over long-on for six and with Durston easing the ball around, Derbyshire reached the halfway point needing 106 with nine wickets in hand.
But Durston drove Moeen Ali to deep mid-wicket and Guptill made his first and last mistake when he chipped the all-rounder into the hands of long-on.
The asking rate was starting to climb and although Madsen drove Solanki over long-on for six in an over which cost 13, the pressure was starting to tell on the Falcons.
Smith was bowled trying to run Mitchell to third man and Ross Whiteley edged a slash at Ajmal, who then had Clare caught at deep mid-wicket for a duck.
Derbyshire's fading hopes were snuffed out when they lost three wickets in the 34th over including Madsen, who was run out trying to steal a single to short third man.
Ajmal then yorked Tony Palladino to claim his fourth wicket and the game ended when Mark Turner was run out by a direct hit to give the Royals only their second victory in the competition with nine balls to spare.
Source:skysports
