A SPECTACULAR batting collapse ended Worcestershire's hopes of extending their winning start to the Friends Provident Trophy.

Chasing Leicestershire's 231 all out, the hosts dramatically lost their last four wickets for no runs in the space of just five balls to crash to a 42-run defeat.

At 189-6 with six overs remaining, the Royals were well set to chase down the Foxes total but a chaotic passage of play brought an abrupt end to the contest to give the visitors their first win of the campaign.

Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat but lost Hylton Ackerman to a well-disguised Kabir Ali slower ball with the score on 21.

Darren Robinson and Jim Allenby compiled a 70-run partnership but Ray Price out-witted Robinson, who had made 44, to claim a simple caught-and-bowled chance.

Allenby (45) was next to perish when Royals' skipper Vikram Solanki took a great low catch at cover to give Doug Bollinger the first of his three wickets.

At 147-3 in the 30th over, Leicestershire looked on target to post a large total but Kabir had Jeremy Snape caught behind without scoring and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

England wicketkeeper Paul Nixon made 31 before he was bowled by the impressive Roger Sillence and David Masters edged Bollinger to Steve Davies.

John Maunders, who had earlier retired hurt with a pulled hamstring, returned to the middle accompanied by a runner but lasted just one ball as Bollinger pinned him on the foot to win an lbw decision.

The Foxes second England player - Stuart Broad - made six before being bamboozled by Gareth Batty's off-spin and quick thinking by Phil Jaques accounted for Claude Henderson.

The Aussie gathered the ball when Kabir spilt a difficult return catch and threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end.

Davies grassed a regulation chance to remove Nick Walker before Sillence cleaned up the same batsman with a yorker.

Worcestershire's reply struggled to get going with Jaques, Stephen Moore and Graeme Hick all going cheaply.

Captain Solanki tried to add some impetus to his side's chase, hitting five boundaries in his 27 before he played across the line of a Masters delivery and lost his off-stump.

Ben Smith and Davies staged something of a fightback in the shape of a 54-run partnership until Smith chopped a Snape off-break into substitute fielder Tim New's hands at backward point two runs shy of his half-century.

Davies (47) was also robbed of a 50, spectacularly caught by Ackerman diving full length to his right and snagging a one-handed snarler at mid-wicket.

Then the wheels came off Worcestershire's challenge in a crazy five-ball spell.

Batty launched Henderson for a huge six, but ran out Sillence next ball attempting a suicidal run and new man Kabir was caught-and-bowled for a golden duck from the last ball of Henderson's over.

At the opposite end, Snape won an lbw appeal against Batty and took a fine one-handed catch next ball to dismiss Bollinger and wrap up victory.