DERBYSHIRE'S involvement in the NatWest t20 Blast ended with another defeat as Worcestershire confirmed their place in the quarter-finals.
The Falcons could make only 181-7 in reply to the home side's 209-4 in which Ross Whiteley hammered his former county.
The 25-year-old, who left Derbyshire last year, pounded nine sixes in an innings of 84 not out after the Rapids had been put in to bat at New Road. He faced only 38 balls and also hit two fours after being dropped on 25.
A bright fourth-wicket stand between Wayne Madsen and Billy Godleman gave Derbyshire a chance pulling off a big run-chase but three wickets in nine balls ended their hopes.
Daryl Mitchell picked the gaps well in the early overs but he lost opening partner Richard Oliver in the fourth over to a sliced drive to cover off Greg Cork. He made eight and that was 38-1.
In the next over, Mitchell followed for 36, off 19 balls with six fours, when he pulled Ben Cotton to midwicket at 49-2.
Colin Munro, destructive in the fixture at Derby, hit three successive fours off Cork but fell for 16 as he attempted a reverse sweep at Marcus North and was bowled to make it 76-3 at the end of the eighth over.
At the start of the 13th, Whiteley was dropped at long off by Alex Hughes off Wes Durston on 25 and though Hughes held a catch off the next ball to dismiss Tom Kohler-Cadmore for 22 at 120-4, it was to be an expensive drop.
Whiteley dominated a stand of 89 in 7.4 overs for the fifth wicket with Ben Cox (29 not out).
North was first to go for Derbyshire, caught at long off for 18, but at 37-1 at ball into the fifth over, they were off to a decent start.
That was stepped up by 34 off 16 balls with five fours and a six by Gareth Cross before he was caught at long off and when Durston fell for 36 at 98-3 in the 12th, the Falcons were still in need of the big individual innings to turn the game.
They got a stand of 56 in 26 balls between Madsen and Godleman, which left 58 runs to win off the last 30 balls. That was an opportunity for them but Godleman was bowled for 26, which included three sixes, and when Jack Leach's next over brought the wickets of Hughes (3) and Madsen (40), the chase was off.
Madsen got his runs off 21 balls with four fours and two sixes.
