WORCESTERSHIRE Royals rubber-stamped their Division Two promotion in the totesport League with a comfortable five wickets win over Leicestershire Foxes at New Road yesterday.

The County won with a massive 26.2 overs to spare to collect a cheque worth £11,000 for finishing runners-up to Middlesex Crusaders.

New Road director of cricket Tom Moody said: "Our season has been a mixture of highs and lows. The fact that next season we will find ourselves back playing in the first division of the totesport League is definitely one of the highs of our summer.

"On the other hand, inconsistent performances in the Frizzell County Championship have proved to be one of the disappointments of the year."

Yesterday's match provided the 300th and last appearance in the league for the County's retiring wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes. He claimed a catch and a stumping to help dismiss Leicestershire for a grim 107 in 26.4 overs.

Their decline was hastened by paceman David Wigley who, in only his fourth league outing, picked up a limited-over best 4-37.

Leicestershire tumbled to 57-7 before Ottis Gibson smashed three sixes and two fours in a battling 32 off 44 balls.

Worcestershire did not have it all their own way when they batted, but were finally steered towards victory by former Leicestershire campaigner Ben Smith, who top scored with an unbeaten 33.