OVER 70s champions Gloucestershire produced a dominant display to crush Worcestershire by ten wickets and finish the regulation season on top of the championship table.
Worcester, who won the toss at Eastnor, totalled 207-7 from their 45 with Andy Howe and Graham Clarke claiming two wicket apiece.
But it was well within range for the visitors who closed out a convincing win with more than three overs to spare thanks to John Evans and Keith Daniels.
England captain Evans was unbeaten on 118 from 137 (13 fours) while Daniels’ 80 not out off 112 included seven boundaries.
Gloucestershire’s reward is a home quarter-final against Surrey on August 22, at Fairford.
Evans, meanwhile, led from the front as England kicked off the first ever Over 70s World Cup with a 266-run defeat of Sri Lanka.
The Frocester chair compiled a true captain’s innings of 101 (retired) for England while there were also two wickets for seamer Steve Sheppard, of St Mary Redcliffe and Somerset, and one wicket on debut for Gloucestershire spinner John Turton.
Gloucestershire Over 60s, meanwhile, defeated Hampshire by 73 runs in their opening Bowl South fixture.
Runs at the top of the order from Ed Gordon Lennox (78), Rob Austen (63) and Ian Robson (53) helped power the home side to 250-6 ahead of Razi Ahmed (4-20 from nine) turning the screw with the ball.
It was a good day too for the 60s 2nds (main image) who trumped Devon by 66 runs at Cheltenham, Kim Parsley top scoring on 68 while there were also four wickets apiece for Andy Kear and Sean Walters, while the 60s 3rds were 75-run victors against Warwickshire as Martin Hopkins, Alan Thomas and Nigel Allen each grabbed three wickets.
The 60s 4ths, though, could not complete a clean sweep as they succumbed by 47 runs away to Surrey.
And Gloucestershire Over 50s slipped up by 112 runs away to Cambridgeshire in the opening knock out round of their championship quest, Jon Tegg’s 65 and 51 from Simon Hygate proving to be in vain.