COACH Bill Athey admitted that Worcestershire were "bitterly disappointed" at being knocked out of the Benson and Hedges Cup in yesterday's ten-over thrash against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The 'Old Enemy' won by seven wickets, but with results elsewhere going against them they also failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Because of the wet weather five pitch inspections spanning six hours were carried out before the match finally got under way at 5pm. The main cause for concern had been the run-up at the city end of the ground.

After being put in the County made 91-4, but Warwickshire eased home with just one ball to spare.

Athey said: "We're bitterly disappointed to go out like we have done, but the whole season is ahead of us and we have got a load to play for. Because of the weather the competition has been a lottery, but I'd still rather win the lottery than lose it."

Commenting on the conditions, he added: "We didn't think it was fit but the umpires made the decision because the captains disagreed. The umpires said it was fit.

"We would quite happily have accepted going through to the quarter-finals if we had got abandoned so we have to accept not qualifying by virtue of losing a ten over slog. We accept it and we have got get on with it.

"Ten-over slogs are a bit of a lottery. I think everybody would agree with that, but you have got to win those sort of matches.

"These types of games fluctuate so quickly. Three balls can make a huge difference or a wide or no ball and that's what happened. Everybody is bitterly disappointed, but that's cricket. We knew the rules at the start of the competition and we have to accept it and just crack on with it."

Reasoning

Athey also explained the reasoning behind the decision to select teenage paceman Kabir Ali ahead of Alamgir Sheriyar.

He said: "We just thought Kabir offered a little bit more with the bat maybe and possibly in the field. But there's nothing to read in to that at all. It was a ten over slog and we could have picked almost anybody really. The team wasn't selected on form or anything like that. We just thought, in a game like this, that Kabir was a slightly better bet."

Top scorer for Worcestershire was opener Paul Pollard who hit 30 off 20 balls including one six and four fours.

Elliott Wilson helped top up the tally with a Benson-best 25 not out off 12 deliveries while David Leatherdale made an unbeaten 17 off eight deliveries.

A 53-run opening stand between Nick Knight and Graeme Welch set Warwickshire on their way. Knight made 30 and Welch 29 which, coupled with his bowling figures of 2-9, earned him the Gold Award.