Worcestershire survived a top-order slump to become Second Division leaders in the Norwich Union League with the assistance of Durham's wash-out at Old Trafford. The teams are level on points but the Royals have one more win.

Facing a lightweight Middlesex total of 128, they almost fumbled their opportunity during a spell of 3 for 13 by Angus Fraser but eventually nosed home by five wickets with 7.2 overs to spare.

A recovery from 49 for 4 was instigated by two all-rounders who had topped-and-tailed Middlesex's struggle. David Leatherdale and Andy Bichel put together a partnership of 50 as the Crusaders suffered for the lack of a specialist fourth pace bowler.

Though Bichel drove a catch to deep mid-off after making 23, Leatherdale saw the job through with an undefeated 55 - his first half-century of the season in the league.

Bichel had caused Middlesex's early problems with the wickets of Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah for an overall return of 8-4-11-2 and Leatherdale polished off the tail with 2 for 9 in 19 deliveries.

The Crusaders managed only six scoring shots in 13 overs by the time they lost their fourth wicket at 22, but they mounted a recovery in a partnership of 55 by David Nash and Mike Roseberry.

The fifth-wicket pair were responsible for nine of only 14 boundaries in the innings and Roseberry celebrated a career milestone by reaching 4,000 runs in the one-day league.

He made 35 until missing with an attempted reverse sweep off Matthew Rawnsley and Nash was top scorer with 43 from 81 balls when he was ninth out to a leg-side stumping by Steve Rhodes.

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