Varun Chopra and Darren Maddy tormented Worces-tershire again by leading Warwickshire to an eight wickets win in the Friends Life t20 West Midlands derby at Edgbaston.

The pair followed up their Warwickshire record partnership for any wicket in the competition of 119 at New Road two weeks ago with one of 107 for the second wicket which kept the Bears in the hunt for a quarter-final place.

Chopra, Warwickshire’s acting-captain, topped his previous competition-best of 65 made at New Road with an unbeaten 75 and Maddy followed his unbeaten 84 at Worcester with 44 from 35 balls.

Warwickshire’s win was their fifth in six games and set up a possible showdown with Somerset at Edgbaston on Tuesday for a quarter-final place.

Worcestershire failed to capitalise on their best start to an innings in this season’s competition by the aggressive Moeen Ali and Thilan Samaraweera who added 60 in seven overs.

They were expertly reined in by New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel and seamer Steffan Piolet and restricted to 145 for eight on a good batting pitch.

Ali showed his attacking intentions from the start by pulling off-spinner Ateeq Javid for two leg-side sixes in the first over of the match.

Ali survived a difficult chance to William Porterfield at extra cover off Jeetan Patel but failed to capitalise as he fell later in the same over top-edging a pull which gave Porterfield the chance to atone for his earlier lapse.

Former Sri Lanka batsman Samaraweera also failed to turn his solid start into a more substantial score and he was bowled off stump for 33 driving at a full length ball from Piolet.

Only Alexei Kervezee, whose workmanlike 27 came from 28 balls, threatened to break the shackles imposed by Patel and Piolet.

But England international Chris Woakes snuffed out further resistance by taking a season’s best three for 28 including Ben Cox, lbw sweeping, and Joe Leach, bowled middle stump heaving across the line, in an accurate final over.

Worcestershire made an early breakthrough when Andre Russell bowled Porterfield with a beauty but Chopra and Maddy took control in front of a 12,000 crowd before Maddy was caught behind driving at Russell.

Chopra, who struck six fours and three sixes from 57 balls, and Rikki Clarke both struck leg side sixes off Gareth Andrew to accelerate Warwickshire to victory with 15 balls to spare.