Worcestershire Rapids went down by 26 runs in a Vitality Blast match with Leicestershire Foxes at New Road despite the efforts with bat and ball of Ed Barnard.
Barnard, voted the man of the match by sponsors counterculture, returned fine figures of 2-17 in a Leicestershire total of 162-6.
He then top-scored with 27 as the Rapids were dismissed for 136.
After the euphoria of overcoming Birmingham Bears in front of a packed New Road on Friday, it was a disappointing result.
But credit to Foxes pace bowler Naveen-ul-Haq who returned figures of 5-10 from four overs during an excellent spell of bowling.
The Rapids now have two games in 24 hours at the end of the week against Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Derbyshire Falcons to gain some momentum.
Rapids captain Moeen Ali put the visitors in to bat on the same hybrid wicket used against the Bears on Friday and for the Central Sparks-Western Storm game yesterday in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Leicestershire opener Hamish Rutherford, a former Worcestershire player, opened the batting for the Foxes.
The Rapids bowled a tight line in the opening stages, and Dillon Pennington was rewarded when Scott Steel, who had hit half-centuries in his previous two innings, holed out to mid-off.
Rutherford was kept in check and did not strike a boundary until his 16th delivery, but four fours in the final over of the powerplay lifted the six over total to 47-1.
Arron Lilley scored freely, but two wickets in two overs checked the Foxes’ progress.
Lilley tried to work Ed Barnard to leg and was lbw, and then Rutherford, having made 29 off 34 balls, missed a straight ball from Moeen.
The England all-rounder finished with excellent figures of 4-0-18-1.
Leicestershire struggled to gain any momentum, and T20 captain Colin Ackermann perished to a fine catch by Josh Baker running back from third man off Barnard.
But 59 came off the last five overs, thanks mainly to Rishi Patel’s 37 from 25 balls.
He holed out to cover off Dwayne Bravo, and then Rehan Ahmed was caught and bowled off a skier by Pat Brown.
Barnard finished with 2-17, Brown 1-24, Pennington 1-30 and Bravo 1-45.
Brett D’Oliveira, fresh from his career-best 71 against the Bears, gave the Rapids a flying start with 25 off 13 balls with five boundaries before he was yorked by Naveen-ul-Haq.
Ed Pollock flicked a Ben Mike no ball over backward square leg for six but on 19 picked out Callum Parkinson in a similar shot off Will Davis.
Colin Munro, the Rapids leading scorer in the Blast this summer, was caught behind on one after aiming to cut Naveen.
Moeen Ali played one exquisite late cut for four off Parkinson and drilled Will Davis for six over long, but then he went lbw to Rehan Ahmed’s first delivery, which kept low.
Jack Haynes was also lbw, to Parkinson, after aiming a legside blow.
Parkinson struck again when Ben Cox (25) found the hands of deep cover, and Bravo (1) was lbw to Naveen.
Naveen ended the innings by sending back Dillon Pennington and Barnard, who was caught at long on.
