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Yorkshire’s hopes of reaching the Royal London one-day Cup knockout rounds were ended by a 150-run defeat against Worcestershire at New Road.
The Vikings lost their third match in seven as they were unable to chase 294 on a challenging surface, falling to 143 all out in 33 overs.
Earlier, Worcester were in trouble at 62-4 after electing to bat, with captain Steve Patterson taking three of them in a superb seven-over spell.
But all-rounder George Rhodes expertly constructed a maiden 106 to recover things to 293-7, helped out by 87 from wicketkeeper Ben Cox. They shared a record 169 in 28 overs for the fourth wicket.
Patterson finished with four wickets, but it wasn’t enough as the Vikings later slipped from 46-0 in the ninth over of their chase, losing all 10 wickets for 97.
South African quick Wayne Parnell claimed 5-25 in seven overs, his second successive five-wicket haul.
Yorkshire, who have one game left against Durham at Emerald Headingley on Monday, had previously advanced out of the North Group for five years running.
The visitors made a commanding start on a used pitch.
Patterson’s first seven overs having replaced new ball quick Duanne Olivier yielded three wickets for only 16 runs.
He had Riki Wessels caught at cover, Tom Fell caught at mid-on and opposite number Brett D’Oliveira smartly caught at backward point by a diving Gary Ballance.
Worcester had reached 56-1 in the 12th over following Wessels’ departure, only to lose their next three wickets for six runs in 3.3 overs, with Tim Bresnan trapping Australian Callum Ferguson lbw on the back foot.
That left Worcester four down in the 16th over on a sluggish surface used for a recent rain-affected game against Durham.
Unfortunately, however, the game was about to change in the next 28 overs as Rhodes, son of former Yorkshire wicketkeeper Steve, and Cox mixed power with invention having steadied the ship.
Rhodes, 25-years-old and who may not have played had Daryl Mitchell (back) been fit, hit sixes over long-on and mid-wicket against Josh Poysden and Patterson, whose first eight overs cost him 22 and his ninth over alone went for 23.
Ross Whiteley also hoisted him over the rope as the score reached 266-5 after 46.
At the stage, the Rapids looked set to top the 300-mark, only for the Vikings to drag things back as Mat Pillans bowled Whiteley and Rhodes, the latter as he looked to scoop the last ball of the innings.
Rhodes had reached his first first-team century in all formats off 107 balls, with the fourth-wicket partnership with Cox being Worcester’s highest for that wicket against any team in List A cricket.
Yorkshire then lost Adam Lyth and Harry Brook to the left-arm seam of Parnell inside the first 11 overs of their reply, Lyth caught behind and Brook lbw.
And when Parnell bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore for 31 in the 15th over, Yorkshire were left with significant work to do.
Ed Barnard then struck three times in as many overs, bowling Jack Leaning with one that kept low and Bresnan, while Jonny Tattersall was caught behind in between as the score fell to 100-6 in the 25th over.
Ballance was trapped lbw by D’Oliveira’s leg-spin in the 26th before Patterson chipped a return catch to the same bowler in the 28th (118-8).
Pillans then hit a career best, but consolatory, 31, before he got a leading edge off Parnell to backward point. Poysden was caught behind next ball to wrap things up.
Worcestershire First Team Coach Alex Gidman said:
“We knew it was a ‘big’ game so to perform like that particularly after a bit of an iffy start was exceptional.
“I thought George (Rhodes) and Ben (Cox) both played exceptionally well and managed the innings well to a) get us out of a bit of a sticky position but then b) to also make sure they got us to a really good score in the end.
“It was a fantastic bit of batsmanship by both of them. George is a very talented played. We know that. We have got a lot of competition for that kind of (middle order) place in our team.
“He started the season well with the second team and has put pressure on. It has been a tough team to get into. We have won a lot of games.
“He’s waited for his opportunity. He looked good the other day before he was run out so I’m pleased he got another opportunity and I’m not surprised he took it. George is a gutsy character and is more than capable of doing that.
“Wayne (Parnell) is in exceptional form. He was a little bit rusty by his own admission to start with – but we all were. He didn’t play that much over the winter but he is really starting to feel his way in and he is performing really well for us.”
Yorkshire First Team Coach Andrew Gale said:
“We were poor and below average. I thought we did really up well until about 25 overs into the game. You have to give Worcestershire some credit. I thought they did really well – Cox and Rhodes.
“But it just about sums our tournament up. We couldn’t do the good things for long enough, and second half we were below par. As soon as we lost a couple of wickets, we were never in the game.
“I’m as frustrated as the lads in there. They’re down. I just don’t think we did what were doing well for long enough.
“Worcestershire showed us how to bowl there in the second half. If you bowl straight with the odd slower ball at Worcester, it’s hard to score.
“If you look at the wagon wheels, I can’t remember the seamers getting hit down the ground much. Our seamers have been scored off square of the wicket.
“We have to keep bowling straight and build pressure. Ultimately that will create another wicket or two, and you have them 100-6 and it’s a different game.
“Anything over 250 was always going to be a tough chase, and we lost early wickets and momentum.”
