Hick vows to carry on

Graeme Hick © Getty Images

Graeme Hick spelt out his desire to continue playing county cricket after he became only the 16th player to score 40,000 first-class runs.

Hick celebrated the milestone when he reached 49 in Worcestershire’s LV County Championship Division One with local rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

It came in his 841st innings - 24 years after his first for Zimbabwe against Young West Indies in Harare - at an average of more than 52.

Hick raised his arms in triumph and received an ovation from all parts of the ground, although he failed to add to his score before being dismissed by paceman Dale Steyn.

The 41-year-old was given a new contract for 2007 after his performances in earning Worcestershire double promotion last season, and is aiming to show he is capable for carrying on playing for another 12 months.

He said: “I know I am enjoying it. The fitness and health side comes in. It is certainly on my mind as to whether I would like to carry on or not. I’ll think about it.

“I just wanted to make sure I had a good enough season to try and make that decision myself and be able to go to the club and say ‘I am really enjoying it, I am playing well, I would like to carry on’.

“It does come down to what the club want but if I am fit enough, I will consider it.”

Graham Gooch was the last player to reach 40,000 first-class runs - in 1994 - and he continued playing until he was 43.

Hick said: “I saw Graham in the winter and and he always said the batting was okay as he got older but he just found the fielding became hard work and that he was letting people down in the field.

Hick cuts a commanding presence at the crease early in his career © Getty Images

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“There will be somewhere along the line, whether it is this year or next year, that will suddenly make me think ‘I am letting myself and other people down’ and it will be time to go.

“At the moment, I am not thinking that way. I am hoping it just comes to me one day rather than me planning it.

“I’d like to be here one day and gone the next. Whether that is due to fitness or form, we will wait and see.”

Hick took pride from his achievement but admitted it was something he would look back on with more pleasure when he has finally retired, with his current thoughts centred on helping Worcestershire improve on a poor start to the season.

He said: “You can look back at things like that and feel proud about realising the achievement - but it is not something you set out to do.

“It is a good achievement but hopefully now I’ve passed it I can carry on. It is nice to reach it but there are other important things, us winning, us playing well, which are more important and mean more to me than just getting past a certain total of runs.

“I am not really that fussed about it. I know later on it will be nice to look back and see what you have done, I suppose.

“I am not a goal-setter. It is not something I’ve focused on. I’ve focused on going out and doing what I enjoy, what I love doing, and trying to do that well and that’s my batting.

“Wherever I’ve played, I’ve tried to do that at whatever level. I’ve always tried my best.

“There has maybe been the odd day when I’ve walked off and felt ‘I didn’t give that my full attention’.

“You wind yourself up again to go and do it properly the next time. That’s why I think over the years I’ve enjoyed it.

“Like I said, I’m not a goal-setter. I have ideas of what I want to do and if I’m playing good cricket then I know I am content with that. Then the other things come.

“I feel very comfortable with my game. I feel since the start of the season I’ve been hitting the ball alright. It feels good at the moment and I just hope it continues.”