WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids travel to lowly Derbyshire Falcons tonight knowing a win could seal a first-ever home tie in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals (7pm).

The County crushed Yorkshire Vikings by 74 runs at Headingley on Tuesday to book their spot in the last eight for the third time in four years.

Now Worcestershire want to secure home advantage in the next stage by cementing second spot in the North Group under the floodlights.

Daryl Mitchell’s men could achieve that feat if they overcome Derbyshire at The 3aaa County Ground or by toppling Lancashire Lightning at New Road in their final fixture on July 24.

Falcons are bottom of the group but have won four of their six home Blast fixtures this term, including a victory against Yorkshire at Chesterfield.

Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale said: “If results go our way, we could secure second place in the group this weekend.

“I am not counting our chickens but it would set up our first quarter-final home tie in the history of the competition.

“We have been away a number of times in the quarter-finals and, if we win one of our last two games, we will get a home draw which, in revenue terms, would mean a lot.”

Northamptonshire Steelbacks are third in the group, trailing second-placed Worcestershire by three points, but they have played one fewer game than Rapids.

The big-hitting Ross Whiteley was Worcestershire’s hero at Headingley, hammering an unbeaten 91 from just 35 balls to lift Rapids to 191-6.

The left-hander cracked 11 sixes in a remarkable knock and then took two catches as Rapids shot out Yorkshire for just 117.

Leatherdale admitted: “We have had some really good performances and I think Ross summed it up with 91 runs from just 35 balls.”

Worcestershire will be losing the services of all-rounder Colin Munro after tonight’s match because he has been selected for New Zealand’s short tour of Zimbabwe next month.

But Leatherdale said: “We have depth in our squad and a lot of players have shown they can play the ropes, to coin a phrase often used by Bumpy (Steve Rhodes).

“We have got some good strikers of the ball and Brett D’Oliveira has come to the fore with his bowling and his all-round game.”

He added: “Ross has found his niche in Twenty20 cricket but he got a very good century against New Zealand this summer and the challenge is for him to step up.”

Worcestershire have named the same XI that beat Yorkshire, plus Joe Clarke and Charlie Morris.

Rapids (from): Oliver, Mitchell, Kohler-Cadmore, Munro, D’Oliveira, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Barnard, Shantry, Saeed, Clarke, Morris