WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids suffered their second successive Royal London One-Day Cup defeat when again failing to chase down a 300-plus target.

After falling 133 runs short of Yorkshire Vikings' hefty 345-6 from 50 overs at New Road yesterday, Somerset's 305-7 at Taunton also proved too much today.

Teenager Ed Barnard scored his first senior 50 but Rapids lost by 56 runs despite lower-order defiance in a reply of 249 all out.

The County lost three early wickets and were on 82-5 at one stage despite a solid 37 from skipper Daryl Mitchell.

But Barnard (51) went to his half-century off 38 balls with four fours and a six to add to three wickets with the ball, while there were useful knocks from Tom Kohler-Cadmore (37), Ben Cox (38) and Jack Shantry (31).

Rapids look for their first cup win of the season at home to Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Sunday (10.30am).

At Taunton, Somerset elected to bat with openers Adam Hose and Tom Abell putting on 59 before Barnard came on to break the stand in the last of the 10-over powerplay.

Hose (46) fell to a good catch by Richard Oliver at deep square leg.

Peter Trego hit Barnard (3-60) for six and four off successive deliveries but the former England under 19s player responded with two wickets in consecutive overs, bowling Trego (15) and trapping Abell (24) lbw.

Mitchell (1-16) struck in his third over when James Hildreth (33) was caught at backward point by Charlie Morris.

It became 146-5 when Jamie Overton (11) perished at long-on to Tom Fell off Brett D'Oliveira.

But a fine 93 not out off 91 balls from Tom Cooper proved crucial and he added 69 with Jim Allenby (45) before the latter was bowled by D'Oliveira (2-53).

Mitchell caught out Craig Overton (8) in the final over from Saeed Ajmal (1-45).

Late hitting by Cooper, who struck three sixes and seven fours, and Michael Bates (18no) lifted the final total past 300.

In reply, Oliver (4) drove his first delivery from Craig Overton for four but then nicked through to Allenby at second slip.

Fell (10) lofted Tim Groenewald up in the air to Jack Leach at mid-on.

It became 28-3 when D'Oliveira was caught for a duck at third slip by Trego off Craig Overton.

Mitchell and Kohler-Cadmore added 42 before the skipper was bowled by Leach.

Ross Whiteley (9) was caught on the boundary by Abell to give Leach another wicket with Worcestershire on 82-5.

Trego's first delivery removed Kohler-Cadmore caught by Groenewald at mid-off.

Cox and Barnard added 60 in just 8.2 overs for the seventh wicket with the former blasting two big sixes.

But Cox top-edged a sweep at Leach (3-52) and Hose held on at short fine leg.

Barnard showed defiance as the 200 came up only to hit a full toss from Craig Overton (3-54) to Hose at mid-off.

Trego (3-45) then wrapped up the match with the wickets of Ajmal (8) and the defiant Shantry to catches.