Hick may be one of England's leading one-day run-makers but he has never reached the levels expected of him after his sensational form in English county cricket.

 

Born in Salisbury (now Harare), and part of Zimbabwe's 1983 World Cup squad at the age of 17, Hick moved to England in 1984 in the hope of Test recognition, something not afforded his homeland until 1992. During a lengthy qualification period with Worcestershire in the County Championship he set the domestic scene alight. His 405 not out for Worcestershire against Somerset at Taunton 1988 was a first class record until bettered by Brian Lara six years later. He finished that season with 2,714 runs.

 

Upon qualifying for England in 1991, he immediately joined the Test side, but proved to be vulnerable against fast bowling, and lacking confidence against the West Indies side which toured that summer. Since then he has been in and out of the side, often making big scores when the pressure is off but buckling when the side depends on him most.

 

That hasn't prevented his continued dominance of the county game, however. In 1998, Hick scored his 100th first class hundred. Only Sir Donald Bradman (295) and Denis Compton (552) have achieved that in fewer than Hick's 574 innings, and only Wally Hammond (by 14 days) was younger than his 32 years.

 

A superb slip fielder, and a good but reluctant off-spinner, Hick fields in the outfield in one day cricket, where his superb throwing arm is put to good use.