Hampshire were made to pay dearly for dropping Graeme Hick early in his innings at the Rose Bowl. Hick ,watched by England selector David Graveney, was put down in the slips by John Stephenson off Alan Mullally when he had gathered a modest 21.

Hampshire's punishment was to watch Hick compile a majestic and otherwise faultless 120, the 112th first-class century of his career.

It was as well for Worcestershire that Hick was at his best because in making 236 only three other batsmen reached double figures against a tenacious Hampshire pace attack.

David Leatherdale was the only Worcestershire batsman to offer prolonged support in a stand of 107 for the fourth wicket in 33 enterprising overs.

Hick was eventually eighth out at 225, cutting the perservering Alex Morris to Will Kendall at backward point. Morris emerged as the most successful of the Hampshire bowlers with four for 39 off 17 overs while Mullally would have nudged England's Graveney with two for 66 off 28 overs and was unlucky not to have finished with better figures, getting pace and lift from the new surface at the Rose Bowl.

With a healthy first innings lead of 73, openers Giles White and Will Kendall added a further 16 in the five overs remaining to give Hampshire a distinct advantage.

Earlier in the day the last two Hampshire wickets garnered a further 42 runs before a wicket each to Andy Bichel and Stuart Lampitt saw them all out for 309. Alamgir Sheriyar finished with a creditable four for 85.

Meanwhile Hick had something extra to celebrate in the bar at the close of play. When he had scored seven he overtook Allan Lamb's career total of 32,506 runs in first-class cricket, thereby making him the leading run scorer of all time among players born on the African continent.

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