WORCESTERSHIRE Royals climbed off the bottom of totesport League Division One and forced Gloucestershire to take their place after a 20-run Duckworth-Lewis victory in Bristol yesterday.

The home side lost Phil Weston to the first ball of the match after losing the toss and, despite a fluent 51 from Matt Windows, posted only 168-9 in a match reduced to 30 overs per side because of rain.

Mark Hardinges made 33 and there were two wickets each for Kabir Ali, Nadeem Malik and Ray Price.

Vikram Solanki (45no) and Stephen Moore (24no) made light of the target, putting together an opening stand of 74 in 12.3 overs before the rain returned to bring a premature end.

It was a disappointing debut for Gloucestershire's new overseas signing Ramnaresh Sarwan. The West Indian batsman was stumped for only three, giving Zimbabwean Price the charge in a poor batting effort by the Gladiators after play had got underway at 3.15pm.

It seemed they had recovered from the early loss of Weston when Windows and Craig Spearman (31) took the total to 57-1 in the ninth over.

Then Spearman, who hit seam bowler Malik for two sixes, was brilliantly caught by Graeme Hick at slip off the same bowler.

Sarwan quickly followed and suddenly it was 110-5 as Alex Gidman was run out by Solanki. Windows, who had produced some sweetly-timed shots to hit nine fours in his 59-ball innings, was caught off a top-edged sweep.

Only Hardinges of the later batsmen threatened to break Worcestershire's stranglehold. The all-rounder scored his 33 off 35 balls before being caught and bowled by Kabir.

The fielding highlight of the day was a brilliant catch by Gareth Batty off his own bowling to dismiss Stephen Adshead, the ball being skied back over his head.

Solanki and Moore set about their task with gusto when Worcestershire replied, Solanki's 45 coming off 41 balls with seven fours.