Four wickets for Steve Patterson helped to keep Yorkshire’s slim hopes of Clydesdale Bank 40 success alive with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over a weak Worcestershire at New Road today.

Despite missing six first-team players through either injury or international duty themselves, and with Ryan Sidebottom also rested, Yorkshire were still too strong for the Pears.

But, having already lost three matches, they will almost certainly have to win all of their seven remaining Group A fixtures to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.

With the second four-wicket haul of his one-day career, Patterson led the way as the hosts were restricted to just 155-9 from their 40 overs.

Captain Andrew Gale then anchored the reply with 56 off 89 balls, and Adam Lyth added a confidence boosting 49 as the win was clinched with 21 balls to spare.

Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby took two wickets apiece with the new ball to reduce Worcester to 30-4 in the ninth over – and, despite a fifth-wicket stand of 88 between James Cameron (51) and teenager Aneesh Kapil (44), they never recovered.

Hannon-Dalby and Gary Ballance both dropped catches, letting Kapil off the hook on 42 and Cameron on 50. Against a stronger side, those could have cost Yorkshire.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid also chipped in with a couple of wickets as Worcester lost five for 32 runs to slip from 118-4.

Wicketkeeper Simon Guy was sharp behind the stumps, taking two catches and a superb stumping down the leg-side to get rid of left-hander Neil Pinner while stood up to Patterson.

Gale and Ballance (27) then shared 59 inside 11 overs for the first wicket in reply.

But Ballance was stumped by Ben Scott as he needlessly tried to launch Yorkshire-born former Undercliffe left-arm spinner Shaaiq Choudhry back over his head.

Gale and Lyth added 73 inside 19 overs before the former was caught at mid-wicket off the part-time spin of Moeen. Lyth was later run out trying to confirm his half-century.

Joe Sayers missed the match with a bruised right foot, sustained during the Lancashire fixture, but it is hoped that he will be fit for Tuesday's Championship match against Somerset at Taunton.