RELEGATED Worcestershire Royals suffered their sixth successive National League defeat when they went down by 18 runs to Warwickshire Bears under the Duckworth-Lewis method at Edgbaston last night.

Nick Knight's superb 122 -- his sixth league century -- helped Warwickshire secure their First Division place and effectively put the game out of Worcestershire's reach.

The former England opener used his considerable one-day expertise to pace his innings to perfection with 15 fours and an on-driven six from 130 balls.

He batted for all but five balls of Warwickshire's innings before he was run out by wicketkeeper James Pipe when he was sent back attempting an improbable single.

Knight received excellent support from Mark Wagh in a second-wicket stand of 79 and Jonathan Trott in a punishing fourth-wicket partnership of 124 in only 18 overs which flattened Worcestershire.

Trott rattled to his own half-century which was his fourth in seven innings in the competition.

Worcestershire made life difficult for themselves by donating Warwickshire six penalty extras for not bowling their overs in the allocated time and they then lost wickets regularly chasing a testing target of 251 on a bouncy pitch.

Anurag Singh briefly threatened to upset his former county until he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Alan Richardson at third man.

Graeme Hick fretted 30 balls for eight before he played on and Worcestershire fell well behind the asking rate until South African Justin Kemp and David Leatherdale revived them with some lusty hitting.

But rain was already falling when Leatherdale chipped to mid-wicket and the umpires took the players off soon afterwards with Worcestershire adrift on 173 for six.

The County rested Gareth Batty, Vikram Solanki and Nantie Hayward and gave a first-team debut to 21-year-old seam bowler David Wigley, who ended with respectable figures of none for 41 in his nine overs.