WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids were unable to build on their derby win over Birmingham Bears on Friday as they fell 26 runs short of Leicestershire Foxes' total in disappointing fashion in their latest Vitality Blast fixture.

It was at the end of both innings' that the Rapids lost touch as the Foxes scored 59 runs in their final five overs, before the hosts lost their final five wickets for just 14 runs with the bat.

Rishi Patel scored 37 from 25 balls to lead Leicestershire to 162/6, with Barnard the pick of the Rapids' bowlers, taking 2-17 from his three overs.

The top order for Rapids didn't fare too badly, with Ben Cox, Brett D'Oliveira and Barnard all scoring over 20 runs but the bottom order fell apart, in the main thanks to Foxes' Naveen-ul-Haq who returned impressive figures of 5-10.

Rapids captain Moeen Ali put the visitors in to bat on the same hybrid wicket used against the Bears on Friday and for the Central Sparks-Western Storm game yesterday in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Leicestershire opener Hamish Rutherford, a former Worcestershire player, opened the batting for the Foxes.

The Rapids bowled a tight line in the opening stages, and Dillon Pennington was rewarded when Scott Steel holed out to mid-off.

Rutherford was kept in check and did not strike a boundary until his 16th delivery, but four fours in the final over of the powerplay lifted the six over total to 47-1.

Arron Lilley scored freely, but two wickets in two overs checked the Foxes’ progress.

Lilley tried to work Ed Barnard to leg and was lbw, and then Rutherford, having made 29 off 34 balls, missed a straight ball from Moeen.

Leicestershire struggled to gain any momentum, and T20 captain Colin Ackermann perished to a fine catch by Josh Baker running back from third man off Barnard.

But 59 came off the last five overs, thanks mainly to Rishi Patel’s 37 from 25 balls.

Brett D’Oliveira, fresh from his career-best 71 against the Bears, gave the Rapids a flying start with 25 off 13 balls with five boundaries before he was yorked by Naveen-ul-Haq.

Ed Pollock flicked a Ben Mike no ball over backward square leg for six but on 19 picked out Callum Parkinson in a similar shot off Will Davis.

Colin Munro, the Rapids leading scorer in the Blast this summer, was caught behind on one after aiming to cut Naveen.

Moeen Ali played one exquisite late cut for four off Parkinson and drilled Will Davis for six over long, but then he went lbw to Rehan Ahmed’s first delivery, which kept low.

Jack Haynes was also lbw, to Parkinson, after aiming a legside blow.

Parkinson struck again when Ben Cox (25) found the hands of deep cover, and Bravo (1) was lbw to Naveen.

Naveen ended the innings by sending back Dillon Pennington and Barnard, who was caught at long on.