This innings, admittedly against an attack lacking Courtney Walsh, who was in Paris acting as a morale-booster to the Jamaican football team, came off only 118 balls and included eight fours and three sixes.

On a pitch unhelpful to stroke play, this was splendid batting. Hick's partnerships of 71 with Tom Moody and 72 in only 11 overs with Philip Weston set Gloucestershire, who won the toss, a testing target.

Although Bobby Chapman yorked Gregory Macmillan in the fourth over, Mark Alleyne and Bobby Dawson kept the score moving well and at 110 for three off 25 overs the visitors were in the game.

However, at that point they had just lost Alleyne for 36, hitting across David Leatherdale, and when Jack Russell gave Richard Illingworth a return catch, much depended on Tony Wright and Matt Windows.

Wright, who top-scored with 46, responded well but tight bowling and fielding slowly raised the asking rate. Both batsmen gave skied catches and Worcestershire won very comfortably.