Batty applauds Royals resolve

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The Royals were on Thursday night celebrating clinching the NatWest Pro40 title, their first piece of silverware for 13 years, after they defeated Gloucestershire by six wickets at Bristol.

It was a welcome consolation prize for Batty, whose side suffered relegation from LV County Championship Division One as well as seeing their New Road home ravaged by the summer flooding, saying: "We won't need any help celebrating. There has never been a season like it for weather in our history. But the lads have been great and the spirit in the team has seen us through."

He added: "It's our first trophy for so many years and it is great to have won it."

Batty's men cruised to victory in pursuit of Gloucestershire's challenging 270 for nine and not even a floodlight failure late in their run chase could stop them.

Batty said: "It wasn't an easy total to face, but we haven't lost a one-day game since the start of June. The pitch was a good one for batting and the only time I was worried was when the lights went out. That cost us wickets I'm sure, but we had enough in hand to win."

The margin of victory reflected the difference between these sides and it might have been wider but for the floodlights.

One of the 15-lamp pylons went out as Graeme Hick was leading the dash for victory.

When they came back on 15 minutes later, Hick quickly lost his off stump for 34 and next man in Abdul Razzaq was caught behind for a single.

It all left Worcestershire, who last won the competition in 1988, slightly on edge but Stephen Moore was there to hit the winning two runs with 11 balls left. The win put the county four points ahead of second-placed Hampshire in Division One with a game in hand.