Hick's career set for early end

Graeme Hick's playing career appears to be over after Worcestershire revealed he is set to miss the final two matches of the season.

The former England batsman injured his elbow during the NatWest Pro40 defeat to Middlesex on Sunday and in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the Pears admitted he is "highly unlikely" to play again this year.

Given that the 42-year-old has already announced his intention to retire from the game at the end of the season, the news appears to signal the curtain being brought down on one of the county game's best careers.

Hick looks set to end his career with an astonishing 136 first-class hundreds to his name, placing him eighth on the all-time list.

He has also scored more than 64,000 runs in all forms of the game, making him the most prolific batsman in history.

Hick accumulated his first-class runs at an average of 52.23, while his useful spin bowling also captured 232 victims.

The Zimbabwe-born player made his county debut in the final match of the 1984 season and had already scored 57 first-class tons by the time England came calling in 1991.

He struggled to establish himself in the Test arena, however, and in his 65 matches averaged a mediocre 31.32 - markedly less than the 37.33 he mustered in one-day internationals.

In his 11 County Championship matches for Worcestershire this season he has continued to perform strongly, averaging a shade under 46, to leave the Pears just eight points from promotion to Division One with a single game remaining.