Hick closes in on Graveney

Worcestershire start their Frizzell County Championship season against Hampshire at New Road with Graeme Hick just one century short of matching Tom Graveney's total of 122 first class hundreds.

Hick, who has a top score of 405 not out, currently lies 13th in the all time list of leading century makers behind Jack Hobbs 197, Percy Hendren 170, Wally Hammond 167, Phil Mead 153, Geoff Boycott 151, Herbert Sutcliffe 149, Frank Woolley 145, Len Hutton 129, Graham Gooch 128, WG Grace 126, Denis Compton 123 and Graveney 122.

The 12 for the opening game are: Singh, Peters, Hick, Smith (capt), Solanki, Leatherdale, Batty, Rhodes (wk), Kabir Ali, Harrity, Hayward, Mason.