WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids have been left to play for just pride in the Royal London One-Day Cup after their remote chances of reaching the quarter-finals were finally extinguished.

Just two fixtures remain in the competition for Worcestershire, who now turn their attention back to the LV= County Championship Division One relegation fight when Nottinghamshire visit New Road on Friday (11am).

While the County are battling away in the four-day format and they look forward to their first NatWest T20 Blast home quarter-final, their 50-over campaign has fallen flat with five defeats and one abandoned clash.

Local rivals Gloucestershire rubbed salt into Rapids' wounds at the bottom of Group 'A' by qualifying for the last eight with a four-wicket win at New Road and maintaining their unbeaten record in the cup.

But the visitors had to overcome a brilliant unbeaten 131 from 109 balls by Worcestershire teenager Joe Clarke — his first century in senior cricket — and handle the absence of injured captain Michael Klinger.

Clarke hit 10 fours and three sixes in seeing the hosts to a competitive 264-8 in a match reduced to 46 overs-a-side by rain.

But any doubts over Gloucestershire's ability to cope without the prolific Klinger were dispelled by an opening stand of 106 in 16.5 overs by Will Tavare (61) and Chris Dent (43).

The recalled Tavare faced 56 deliveries, hitting eight fours and a six before he was bowled by Ed Barnard.

Dent went in the next over lbw as soon as Brett D'Oliveira joined the attack.

The setback was quickly corrected by a partnership of 100 as Gareth Roderick made 56 from 51 balls until dismissed by Barnard (2-50) and Geraint Jones 58 from 57 before falling lbw to Joe Leach.

Worcestershire battled to the end with Leach (2-49) and Ross Whiteley taking further wickets before the visitors got home with seven balls to spare.

The latest milestone in 19-year-old Clarke's career would not have been a surprise to a quartet of Gloucestershire bowlers.

Late in May, James Fuller, Benny Howell, Tom Smith and Jack Taylor were among those on the receiving end when Clarke made an unbeaten 201 in a second XI fixture at Cheltenham College.

The innings got him into the Championship team before the former England under 19s player also gained promotion to the 50-over side.

There was a mixture of everything in his batting — authority, confidence, style and at the end a glimpse of power in a 6-6-4 assault on Howell in the final over, giving him 10 fours and three sixes.

With Rapids missing captain Daryl Mitchell due to a hamstring injury, David Payne dismissed the new opening pair Tom Kohler-Cadmore (7) and Richard Oliver (14) before a light shower reduced the overs.

Howell bowled Tom Fell (21) and Smith's left-arm spin brought two wickets as D'Oliveira (22) and Whiteley (33) attempted to pick up the pace.

Whiteley shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 87 and from then on it was all about Clarke as he kicked on from a hundred in 97 balls.