DUNCAN BELL took just four minutes to make a near20st impact on Bath’s Premiership title ambitions with a try that propelled his side to an emphatic victory over Worcester Warriors.

The prop wore a grin as wide as his West Country girth after smashing corner-flag and Warriors wing Chris Pennell aside on a 20m trundle to the line.

While Matt Stevens, the man he replaced, looked on with ice on an injured elbow that will worry both Bath and England, Bell was being mobbed by teammates jubilant that their efforts to play some rugby, rather than engage in a war of attrition, had paid off.

Bell’s score reopened the floodgates and, with captain Michael Lipman and Shaun Berne following him over the tryline to add to first-half scores from Nick Abendanon and Joe Maddock, Bath had plenty to celebrate with their bonus-point triumph - their third win in four starts this season.

After Loki Crichton had kicked Worcester ahead, Bath cut loose. First Maddock went clear down the wing, Michael Claassens was up in support and Justin Harrison sent Abendanon on a jinking run to the line. Two minutes later, Maddock crossed himself, his pace taking him out of reach of Kai Horstmann and Crichton. Butch James landed a second conversion to add to a penalty for a 17-3 lead.

James’s kicking has been horribly inconsistent this season but the Springbok was on his mettle yesterday, trading penalties with Crichton to ensure Bath led 20-9 at half-time.

Crichton pulled Worcester back with a fourth penalty after the break, and Bath’s joie de vivre temporarily evaporated, with a series of knock-ons and a glut of penalties costing them possession and the upper hand. And things got worse when Stevens came off after 57 minutes nursing his arm.

But Bell’s race to the line eased Bath fears before Pennell put Worcester back in touch with a try that brought the score to 25-19.

However, Lipman sealed matters when he intercepted Sam Tuitupou’s pass and went in unopposed, before Berne scored with almost the game’s last move.

Bath head to Wasps for a Wednesday meeting likely to feature the return of Danny Cipriani, and coach Steve Meehan is making special plans for the England fly-half, back two months early from a serious knee injury. “We will put as much heat on him as we possibly can,” said Meehan. “If he is at No 10 and our guys get the opportunity to put the shoulder in, they will take it - in a legal sense of course.”

Star man:Michael Lipman (Bath)

Referee:R Debney (RFU)

Attendance:10,600

Scorers: Bath:Tries: Abendanon 16, Maddock 18, Bell 61, Lipman 74, Berne 80 Cons: James (3) Pens: James (2)Worcester:Try: Pennell 72 Con: Crichton Pens: Crichton (4) Yellow card: Worcester:Rasmussen (35min)

BATH:N Abendanon; J Maddock, A Crockett (E Fuimaono-Sapolu 74min), S Berne, J Cuthbert (M Stephenson 76min); B James, M Claassens (S Bemand 74min); D Flatman (D Barnes 41min), L Mears (P Dixon 58min), M Stevens (D Bell 57min), J Harrison, P Short, S Hooper, J Fa’amatuainu (J Scaysbrook 74min), M Lipman (capt)

WORCESTER:C Latham; C Pennell, D Rasmussen, S Tuitupou, M Benjamin; L Crichton (J Carlisle 73min), R Powell (B Jones 65min); M Mullan, A Lutui (C Fortey 55min), T Taumoepeau (C Horsman 55min), G Rawlinson (capt, G Kitchener 58min), C Gillies, K Horstmann, N Talei, T Wood (M Cox 67min)