WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids could seal a place in the NatWest T20 quarter-finals with a victory against Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley tonight (6.30pm).

The County are second in the North Group with three fixtures remaining after Friday’s defeat against leaders and holders Birmingham Bears at New Road.

The Rapids are a point clear of Northamptonshire Steelbacks who, on Sunday, defeated Leicestershire Foxes in a rain-affected match.

Worcestershire have secured seven wins from 11 games in the competition and director of cricket Steve Rhodes has named a 12-strong squad for the important clash in Leeds.

Rhodes has chosen the 11 players in action against the Bears plus Joe Clarke, who scored a career-best 70 in the LV= County Championship Division One victory over Hampshire last week.

Clarke is a wicketkeeper-batsman and has been included in several Worcestershire T20 Blast squads in recent weeks.

His former England under 19s team-mate Ed Barnard has already become a regular member of the Rapids side in the short format of the game.

Despite Brett D’Oliveira’s 56 not out from just 30 balls and Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s sparkling 66, Rapids posted 160-5 against the Bears in Friday’s defeat.

Rikki Clarke’s unbeaten 52 then helped to secure a five-wicket win for Bears with three balls left.

Yorkshire are eighth in the North Group with just four wins from 11 matches – and they recorded a fivewicket success against Durham in their last outing.

In reply to Durham’s 191-6, England’s Jonathan Bairstow hammered 92 from just 42 deliveries as Yorkshire stormed home with seven balls remaining.

Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell said: “We have three pool matches to go to make sure we are in the top four.

“One more win might be enough for us to qualify for the quarterfinals but it depends on other results.

“We are second in our group at the moment and we would like to qualify in the top two to get a home time in the last eight.”

Worcestershire are on track to qualify for a third quarter-final spot in four seasons but they want to book a first ever home tie in the last eight.

Yorkshire and Leicestershire are the two sides the Rapids will face only once in the competition this season with Worcestershire playing all other six teams home and away.

After facing Yorkshire, Worcestershire meet bottom-placed Derbyshire at Derby on Friday and then host fourth-placed Lancashire Lightning at New Road on July 24.

Kent are top of the South Group table with 18 points. Sussex lie in second place with 15 points, followed by Essex, Hampshire and Glamorgan.

Worcestershire Rapids squad: Oliver, Mitchell, Kohler-Cadmore, Munro, D’Oliveira, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Barnard, Shantry, Ajmal, Clarke.