Worcestershire beat Somerset by 4 runs

Graeme Hick played himself back into form with a match-winning 101 as his Worcestershire side overcame Somerset by four runs in a National League top-of-the-table match at Taunton.

Hick's hundred dominated a Worcestershire score of 222-8, while half centuries from Peter Bowler (67) and Mike Burns (56) were the mainstays of Somerset's 218-8.

The victory kept Worcestershire Royals at the top of the first division with 24 points from seven games. Somerset remain in second place, eight points behind but with a game in hand.

Somerset had decided not to particpate in the Norwich Union free admission promotion for National League matches over the weekend.

They feared that such an agreement could fill the small Taunton ground to over capacity and, with the local police resources stretched by the Glastonbury music festival, that would have meant to big a safety risk.

As it happened, a crowd of around 4,000 - some 1,500 below capacity - watched an enthralling game that remained well balanced throughout.

After Somerset captain Jamie Cox had elected to field first, England paceman Andrew Caddick struck with the first ball of the innings when he had Vikram Solanki caught by Marcus Trescothick at slip.

Caddick proceeded to bowl nine miserly overs for only 18 runs to put an early stranglehold on the Worcestershire innings.

But there was no removing Hick, who came into the match on the back of a pair in the first Test with the West Indies at Edgbaston and a score of 11 in the NatWest Trophy match with Gloucestershire.

It was at Taunton in 1988 that Hick made his career-best 405 not out, and he again showed his liking for the arena with a chanceless century from 107 balls, with ten fours.

He reached three figures with a two to long leg off Steffan Jones, but then bottom-edged a pull onto his middle stump from his next delivery from Paul Jarvis.

David Leatherdale, with 35 from 42 balls, and Steve Rhodes, with an unbeaten 36 from 40 deliveries, were the other main contributors to the Worcestershire innings.

Somerset saw off the initial threat of Australian pace star Glenn McGrath in reply, only for Kabir Ali to dismiss Trescothick and Piran Holloway with successive balls in the eighth over.

Skipper Cox then fell lbw to Leatherdale before Bowler and Burns led a revival with a stand of 86 in 16 overs.

Bowler, who had his benefit banquet to look forward to in the evening, had advanced confidently to 67 when he fell to a legside stumping by Rhodes off Stuart Lampitt.

Burns, after a sluggish start, had accelerated to 56 when he was well caught and bowled by the tumbling Richard Illingworth.

Rob Turner and Ian Blackwell kept Somerset interested with a stand of 31 for the seventh wicket, which included 12 off the 43rd over bowled by Illingworth.

But McGrath showed all his experience in the 44th over and his dismissal of Blackwell, caught behind off the final ball, proved crucial.

Fourteen were wanted off the final over and, despite a boundary by Turner from the first ball, it was too much for the home team.