ANDREW Gale believes Wednesday's win over Durham was the most pleasing of Yorkshire's three Royal London Cup one-day successes.

Yet the Headingley coach has urged his players to step up their levels when they tackle Worcestershire in tomorrow's top-of-the-table clash at New Road.

Yorkshire, who chased down 336 against Durham on the back of Jonny Bairstow's sensational 174, are already closing in on the knockout stages with five games to go.

They sit top of the North Group with a 100 per cent record and are a point ahead of tomorrow's opponents, the Rapids having played out a tie against Northamptonshire on Wednesday.

If they finish in top spot later this month, Yorkshire would gain a direct passage through to the semi-finals.

This year has seen a change in the qualification criteria, with only the top three teams in each of the two groups advancing to the knockout stage.

The top team gets an automatic home semi-final next month, while second place in the North section plays third in the South and vice versa. The winners of each play-off game then take on the two semi-finalists.

Gale said: "To be honest, I haven't even thought about that. It's the old fashioned saying of 'take each game as it comes'.

"I wanted us to get off to a good start and all that's in my mind now is the next two games (Worcestershire and then Derbyshire at Headingley on Sunday).

"If we can win the next two, we're in a good position. We have to keep this momentum going and keep the confidence in the dressing room.

"Durham was probably the most rewarding win, given we had our backs against the wall.

"I knew it would be a good test. When you play against Durham, they're always a team full of fighters. That's exactly what we found.

"Worcester are a workmanlike side and we'd be naive if we went there and underestimated them. I expect us to turn it up a little bit more and be right on the ball come 11am."

As director of cricket Martyn Moxon insisted earlier this week, it will take a squad effort for the Vikings to maintain their excellent start.

They are missing all five England one-day players for the next two matches, with Alex Lees, Jack Leaning and Karl Carver likely starters tomorrow. Australian overseas batsman Peter Handscomb will keep wicket.

Gale said: "The lads are away for two games now and it's about people standing up. When they come back, we want a selection headache.

"Guys will be given an opportunity and it's up to them to produce displays like Jonny's. It's a pretty brutal schedule and we're going to need the squad if we want to keep the momentum up.

"We have put a lot of effort into the way we want to play our cricket, our game plans and the little periods of play we can improve. I'm really pleased with the way it's gone.

"It's been a really good start but that's all it is – a start. There are five games left and we know how quickly it can change in this format. It's about backing it up game on game now."

Yorkshire: from Ballance (capt), Bresnan, Carver, Coad, Fisher, Gibson, Handscomb (wkt), Leaning, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Rafiq, Rhodes, Waite.