WORCESTERSHIRE Royals' hopes of lifting the Norwich Union Division One crown seem to have slipped away after crashing by 103 runs to title rivals Glamorgan Dragons at Sophia Gardens last night.

The Dragons had set their opponents a difficult target of 281 after an excellent partnership of 133 between Michael Powell and Matthew Maynard, and the Royals never came close, stumbling to 177 all out.

All-rounder David Leatherdale hit a battling 53 for the visitors but it only delayed the inevitable as Glamorgan wrapped up an impressive win to give themselves a six-point lead at the top of the table with just two matches left to play.

But the Welsh club's hopes of a good start were shattered with the third ball of the innings as opener Robert Croft departed without scoring a run, lbw to Alamgir Sheriyar. The pace bowler struck again soon after when he had Ian Thomas caught by Gareth Batty.

However, Powell and Maynard began to take control of the Worcestershire attack, and two boundaries off Sheriyar moved Powell closer to a half-century before a deserved 50 was brought up with a controlled push down to backward point for two.

Maynard joined in with a massive six to long off and Worcestershire continued to suffer, with Leatherdale going for 11 off the 20th over.

An excellent 42-ball half-century was completed with yet another cut to the boundary by Maynard, the seventh four of his innings, but with the partnership on 133 the Royals made the breakthrough they desperately needed after a brilliant piece of fielding by wicketkeeper James Pipe.

Powell went for a risky single but was turned back and Pipe, receiving the ball from Leatherdale well in front of the stumps, threw himself backwards to remove the bails and dismiss the batsman for 71.

Pipe then watched an edge from Maynard fly agonisingly wide of his gloves but the Oldham-born batsman eventually succumbed just 13 runs short of a century.

Maynard drove a delivery from Batty back down the pitch but the bowler reacted instantly to dive to his right and take a quality one-handed catch.

The early breakthrough which the Dragons wanted duly came with Worcestershire on 11 when Singh slashed at a delivery from Andrew Davies and edged the ball through to Maynard at first slip.

The Royals were struggling to settle and it was no surprise when Pipe went with the score on 31, cleaned bowled by Australian Michael Kasprowicz for 13.

Worcestershire were left in real trouble when Vikram Solanki (27) played and missed at Dale, whose delivery crashed into the stumps to reduce the visitors to 75 for three. And the big wicket was not long in coming with skipper Graeme Hick scooping Harrison tamely to the diving Croft at mid-on having made 26.

With the score on 175 for seven Worcestershire were well beaten, and the final three wickets fell for just two more runs as the Dragons completed a crucial victory.