Cricket: Hick hammers Black Caps' attack in drawn match

7.30am

Former England batsman Graeme Hick revived memories of summers gone by, with a phenomenal assault on New Zealand's test cricket attack at New Road.

Hick's unbeaten 204 from 204 balls ensured that Worcestershire avoided defeat on the final day of their tour game, and it gave Stephen Fleming plenty to ponder as New Zealand finalise their preparations for next week's first test at Lord's.

The best of New Zealand's bowlers was spinner Daniel Vettori, who took three wickets for 47 runs.

Among the pacemen, Shane Bond had figures of 1-77, Chris Martin had 0-77, Daryl Tuffey 0-41, Jacob Oram 1-51 and Scott Styris 1-17.

Fleming looked on from the dressing room as he rested a slight groin niggle, but he would have been powerless to resist the onslaught.

At the start of the day, New Zealand had fully expected to be pushing for their first win of the tour, as Worcestershire resumed on 0-1, still trailing by 109 runs on the first innings.

But Hick, 38, soon forced a reassessment as he blasted to his 123rd first class century and 15th double hundred.

He clattered eight sixes and 27 fours, with Bond being regularly pulled to the boundary.

It was a blow to New Zealand's hopes of some extra batting practice ahead of the first test.

The declaration eventually came after tea, but for New Zealand opener Michael Papps, there was further disappointment as Mark Harrity trapped him lbw for 6.

After making one in the first innings and a duck against British Universities, his place in the test team is in jeopardy.

Stumps were pulled with Mark Richardson on 20 not out and Styris on 44.

New Zealand's next match will be a four-day fixture against Kent, beginning on Thursday.

Scoreboard from the fourth and final day of New Zealand's cricket tour match against Worcester at the County Ground today:

Worcestershire

1st innings: 270-9 dec

2nd innings

S Peters c McCullum b Bond 0

S Moore c McCullum b Styris 29

G Hick not out 204

B Smith c Tuffey b Vettori 14

Kadeer Ali st McCullum b Vettori 8

A Hall c Richardson b Oram 32

D Pipe c & b Vettori 8

S Rhodes not out 7

Extras (b5, lb3, nb8) 16

Total (6 wickets dec, 67.4 overs) 318

Wicketfall: 0, 87, 132, 197, 261, 277

Bowling: S Bond 13-3-77-1 (3nb), C Martin 12-3-77-0, Tuffey 13-3-41-0 (1nb), Oram 10-3-51-1 (3nb), Styris 5-1-17-1 (1nb), Vettori 14.4-3-47-3

New Zealand

1st innings 379-7 dec

2nd innings

M Richardson not out 20

M Papps lbw b Harrity 6

S Styris not out 44

Extras (w6, nb1) 7

Total (1 wickets, 23 overs) 77

Wicketfall: 12

Bowling: M Mason 6-2-19-0 (4w), M Harrity 7-1-31-1 (2w), M Malik 6-1-10-0, A Hall 4-0-17-0 (1nb)

Result: Match drawn

- NZPA