GLOUCESTERSHIRE coach John Bracewell admitted his side had played their 'get-out-of-jail free' card to defeat Worcestershire in Tuesday's (July 4) NatWest Trophy third-round replay at New Road.

The holders triumphed by five runs to set up a meeting with Leicestershire at Grace Road today with Martyn Ball collecting the last wicket of Steve Rhodes with three balls left.

Worcestershire had triumphed in the original game, but the England and Wales Cricket Board ordered a replay after Gloucestershire claimed the hosts' 19-year-old paceman Kabir Ali had played while ineligible to do so.

This time, Gloucestershire were bowled out for 163 on a wicket favouring the ball but they dismissed Worcestershire for 158 thanks to a four-wicket haul from James Averis and then with Ball holding his nerve at the end.

Bracewell said: While you are still in the competition, you are in with a chance. When you are out you think of all the things that could have happened.

We have played our 'free' card and now we have to be a little more honest in our performances than we were the first time we played Worcestershire when we weren't honest to ourselves.

We said we were going to be and we really weren't there. Yesterday we were honest. We defended a small total with some guts.

It was an unsatisfactory wicket, and when defending 163 (our captain) Jack Russell had to decide whether to bowl them out in 40 overs or mix and match two or three bowlers and commit himself to a full 50-over match.

He opted for the latter, was pretty astute and we got the result although I thought Steve Rhodes played a magnificent innings for Worcestershire and gave it a bloody good shot.