ANOTHER century from Callum Ferguson inspired Worcestershire Rapids to a sizeable step towards the Royal London One-Day Cup knockout stages.

Ferguson and Joe Clarke each powered to treble figures in a 34-run success over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at New Road.

The pair plundered 239 runs from 37 overs for the second wicket as the Rapids amassed 348 five in 50 overs.

Despite half-centuries from Rob Newton, Adam Rossington and Rob Keogh, Northamptonshire got bowled out for 314 in the final over as the hosts secured a fifth win in seven games and an unblemished four-match home record in North Group.

The victory moved Rapids level on points with leaders Warwickshire who they meet in a crunch derby encounter under the Edgbaston floodlights on Thursday.

Ferguson continued his start to remember as the Australian batsman followed his record-breaking 191 against Leicestershire Foxes with an unbeaten 159.

Worcestershire elected to bat on what was the same wicket used for the highest successful run chase in English one-day cricket against Leicestershire on Tuesday.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali was bowled for a second ball duck by Ben Sanderson but the visitors had to wait another 37 overs for their next success as Clarke and Ferguson dominated proceedings.

It was the county’s highest second-wicket partnership in List A cricket, surpassing the 208 by Vikram Solanki and Phil Hughes against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2012.

England Lions batsman Clarke and then Ferguson also went past Worcestershire’s previous best individual List A score versus Northamptonshire – 120 by Graeme Hick at Northampton in 2007.

Clarke reeled off a succession of fine drives and went to his fourth List A century from 105 balls with a hook for four off Rory Kleinveldt. It included one six and eight other boundaries.

Ferguson soon followed him to three figures in four fewer balls than Clarke with the aid of 10 fours and he celebrated by twice lofting Sanderson for straight sixes.

The stand was finally broken when Clarke, who was on 122 off 117 balls, holed out to deep mid-wicket off spinner Graeme White.

In the same over, White accounted for Ross Whiteley for a duck leg before wicket but Ferguson continued to score freely and was given excellent late-order support by Ben Cox (39) and Brett D’Oliveira (22).

The 33-year-old left the field to his second standing ovation in five days after plundering three sixes and 13 fours from 136 balls.

Northamptonshire List A debutant Ricardo Vasconcelos (20) clipped Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach to mid-wicket with 34 on the board.

Newton and Ben Duckett scored well in a second-wicket stand of 79 in 12 overs with the former pulling Pat Brown over mid-wicket for six to reach his half century from 45 deliveries.

Ali made a crucial breakthrough when Duckett (37) went for a reverse sweep and top edged a catch to keeper Cox.

Then Newton, after making a run a ball 61 with two sixes and six fours, aimed a pull at Brown and perished at mid-wicket.

Skipper Alex Wakely (40) and Rossington (63) kept alive Steelbacks hopes when adding 95 in 12 overs only for three quickfire wickets to swing the game decisively in the Worcestershire’s favour.

Ed Barnard bowled Wakely and had Rory Kleinveldt (9) caught off a skier at point. In between, Rossington miscued D’Oliveira into the hands of Leach running back from cover.

Saif Zaib (10) and Graeme White (11) fell as the run rate rocketed and in the final over, Keogh (51) and Nathan Buck (10) holed out on the boundary off Charlie Morris.