WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids moved a step closer to reaching the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-finals with an exciting three-wicket win over rivals Warwickshire at New Road.

Chasing a revised target of 241 in 34 overs due to rain Ross Whiteley (35 not out) led Rapids home with 13 balls to spare in the North Group clash.

Joe Clarke (56 from 51 balls), Ben Cox (49 from 41) and John Hastings (36 from 26) also played their part in the triumph under the Duckworth-Lewis method which Whiteley sealed with a six.

The defeat was harsh on away seamer Grant Thornton (4-42) and it overshadowed 104 from Ian Bell and a blistering 84 not out from Rikki Clarke in the visitors' 304-5 from 49 overs.

But Rapids showed belief, recovering from 57-4 to overcome their rivals and set up a showdown with third-placed Durham Jets at New Road on Sunday (11am).

Bell and Rikki Clarke took advantage of wayward bowling to plunder 126 runs for the fifth wicket from 13.5 overs to put Warwickshire seemingly in the driving seat.

Rapids achieved an early breakthrough after winning the toss and putting their rivals in to bat.

Hastings removed Jonathan Trott (2) caught by wicketkeeper Cox and Ed Barnard took a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to dismiss Sam Hain (34).

Tim Ambrose and Bell added 82 runs until Brett D’Oliveira removed the ex-England wicketkeeper for 43.

D’Oliveira struck another blow, dismissing Aaron Thomason for 11.

But Rikki Clarke single-handedly changed the visitors’ innings as Bell reached his first century in 13 months off 127 balls.

Bell was dismissed for 104 caught by Daryl Mitchell off Hastings but with Rikki Clarke in full flow the visitors amassed 60 off the final four overs.

Heavy rain fell and when play resumed Rapids were set a target of 241 to win in 34 overs.

Moeen Ali fell for seven and Mitchell (8) was also out cheaply with just 31 on the board.

But Joe Clarke crashed his first three balls to the boundary ropes.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore (24) launched Thornton for six but fell the next ball caught behind off an attempted pull to leave the hosts floundering at 55-3.

D’Oliveira (1) was run out by a direct hit from Keith Barker after attempting a second run.

Rapids needed a partnership when Cox joined Joe Clarke at 57-4 in the ninth over.

The pair gradually gave them impetus, taking the hosts to 118-4 after 17 overs.

But with Rapids finally above the run-rate Cox fell for 49 lbw to Jeetan Patel with the total at 138 to break a partnership of 81 in 11.3 overs.

Joe Clarke registered an impressive half-century from 43 balls with his seventh boundary and hard-hitting Hastings dispatched Ateeq Javid for six.

Hastings pulled two short balls from Rikki Clarke over the square-leg boundary as Rapids looked in control at 172-5 after 23 overs.

Joe Clarke perished for 56 scooping Thornton to Thomason to give the visitors renewed hope and the same combination accounted for Hastings as the hosts slipped to 196-7.

But skipper Joe Leach (14 not out) and Whiteley kept calm and eased the tension with a flurry of boundaries to guide Rapids to a battling success.