Hick joins elite band

chieve the feat when he scored 139 in Worcestershire’s home Championship victory over Northants.
The other seven are Jack Hobbs (Surrey), Phil Mead (Hampshire), Walter Hammond (Gloucestershire), Patsy Hendren (Middlesex) and the Yorkshire trio of Herbert Sutcliffe, Frank Woolley and Geoff Boycott.

Harare-born Hick, now in his 23rd season with Worcestershire, launched a marathon top-class career with Zimbabwe in 1983–he represented his homeland for three seasons–and went on to play for England in 65 Tests and 120 one-day internationals. He totals just on 50,000 runs in all cricket.

Two other Zimbabwe stars have bounced back to run-scoring form. Murray Goodwin hit 235 in Sussex’s demolition of Yorkshire at picturesque Arundel, while Andy Flower top-scored for Essex with 84 in an eight-wicket win at Derby.

Dale Benkenstein played a key all-round role in Durham’s surprise defeat of Hampshire at Southampton. The former South Africa limited-overs international from Harare was highest scorer with 61 in Durham’s second innings, then took 3-16 as Hampshire collapsed from 71-1 to 104 all out.

Another top Zimbabwean, Sean Ervine, is out of Hampshire’s Twenty20 Cup campaign that started this week. The all-rounder is troubled by the left knee, which was operated on at the end of last season. Michael Vaughan, the Yorkshire and England captain, has a similar problem and is back on the sidelines after scoring just 14 and 4 against Sussex and being unable to field.

Lancashire and Sussex will clash in the final of the C&G Trophy at Lord’s on August 26.