VIKRAM Solanki is today basking in the glory of his man-of-the-match batting performance which enabled Worcestershire Royals to recapture top spot in the Norwich Union League Division One.

His inning steered the County to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Warwickshire Bears in last night's floodlit clash at Edgbaston.

Solanki hammered 91 as the County moved two points clear of second-placed Glamorgan Dragons who have a match in hand.

Skipper Graeme Hick's title-chasers now have four games left including a vital floodlit showdown with Glamorgan at Cardiff on Tuesday, September 3.

Solanki, who featured in a record-breaking opening stand worth 183 with former Warwickshire campaigner Anurag Singh, said: "We've got four big games coming up now and if we play well enough then we'll see where we'll end up.

"But it's always nice to beat Warwickshire and it's a good time for us to get a win in the context of things."

Solanki, who together with Singh enabled the County to reach a victory target of 217 with 5.4 overs to spare, added: "We fielded well and then myself and Anurag got us off to a good start and we had the momentum to carry us through.

"All the things we talked about that are important in one-day cricket seemed to fall into place for us.

"In our first four overs Anurag and myself were pretty watchful but things progressed after that which worked well.

"For want of a cliche we'll just take one game at a time now. We've played pretty well and we'll work as hard as we can and go into the next game and try to do all the things we have done against Warwickshire."

Solanki admitted to being frustrated at not going on to make his second league ton of the second against the Bears, but revelled in the atmosphere created by a 9,000 crowd.

He said: "It's a fantastic ground but it's better when it's got a few people in it. It's a big Test ground and you can sometimes not have any atmosphere because of a lack of crowds, but when it's like this it's great."

The County's bowling hero was medium pacer David Leatherdale who restricted the Bears to 216-8 by taking 4-37.

Worcestershire's next Norwich Union League Division One game is against Kent Spitfires at New Road on Sunday, September 1.