WAYNE Parnell says team success was more important than personal glory after his five wickets helped Worcestershire Rapids defeat North Group leaders Notts Outlaws in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The all-rounder, 29, picked up three wickets in an over for his best List A figures in England of 5-24.

But Parnell was keen to praise his fellow Rapids and bowling coach Alan Richardson for the plan that was carried out with deadly effect to restrict Outlaws to 121-9.

He said: “Personally it was nice to get that milestone (of five wickets) but more importantly it was about getting the two points against a team that had won all of their games previously.

“They are a very strong team and we played to our strengths and knocked them over.

“We were fortunate we had one over where we had three wickets and that sort of breaks the back of the opposition and from there we were in a position where we could really attack and try to put them on the back foot.

“Then when they looked like they could build again Paul Coughlin pulled his hamstring and we just squeezed (the batting) from there.”

Parnell bowled aggressively from around the wicket at the body of the right handers during the over where he enjoyed a treble success.

He said: “We’ve discussed certain things against certain batters and against Notts every single plan we discussed prior to the game worked so credit to Richo (Richardson) for giving us those plans.

“Obviously for me, not having played against many of these guys before, it was just about trying to stick to that plan and it went my way.”

Rapids lost five wickets in reply, two from run outs, but 48 not out from Tom Fell saw them across the finishing line.

Parnell said: “With those sort of totals you don’t know how to approach it. Do you go hard in the first 10 overs or just play it through?

“Obviously losing a couple of wickets after the first 10 overs does get the nerves up a bit but we bat all the way to number nine so can pretty much chase anything.

“For Felly to get 50 in the previous game and get the not out and take us over the line against Notts will do his confidence the world of good.”

Richardson praised Rapids who are well in the hunt to qualify for the knockouts after four wins in six games ahead of hosting Yorkshire on Saturday (11am) and visiting Derbyshire Falcons on Monday.

He said: “It was a fantastic performance against the form side in the country in white-ball cricket.

“The boys were pretty clinical in the field, bowled exceptionally well and we saw ourselves home with the bat.

“In general with the ball in this competition so far we’ve had some simple plans and the boys have executed them really well.

"We got our rewards by doing the simple things really well.

“I’m sure there will be two or three teams in the hunt for the last spots and it’s exciting times.

“It’s just great we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to qualify going into those last two games.”

The North and South Group winners qualify for the semi-finals while the second and third-placed teams will have play-off eliminators to make the last four.

Meanwhile, Josh Dell carried his bat for 131no to earn the County a first-innings lead in the Second XI Championship encounter at Lancashire before skipper Joe Leach made a treble breakthrough.

Dell helped rescue his side from 36-4 overnight to 251 all out in reply to the hosts' 226 all out.

Leach produced figures of 6-4-4-3 as Lancashire closed their second innings on 78-4 from 29 overs.