GRAEME Hick conceded his days as a cricketer may be numbered despite delivering another brilliant display for Worcestershire to put them in control of their Frizzell County Championship Division Two match against Lancashire at New Road.

The 38-year-old batsman hit a superb 176 to claim the 127th first-class hundred of his impressive career and moves above WG Grace into 10th place in the all-time list of century-makers.

His innings included eight sixes and 20 fours and earned Worcestershire a crucial 110-run first innings lead on a wicket showing signs of uneven bounce, underlined by Lancashire reaching 47 for one by the close.

Hick's superb display followed a century in pre-season at Chelmsford and 80 against Derbyshire in the opening championship match of the summer to prove his powers are still a force to be reckoned with.

But he remains undecided about his future in the game after 21 years with Worcestershire, admitting: "Scoring centuries still gives me great pleasure, maybe even more so at this stage of my career because I don't know how many more I've got in me.

"I've always enjoyed my cricket and I'm really enjoying playing here now because there are some good young lads in our team who are all willing to learn.

"If I finish this season the way I felt at the end of the last then I will continue playing -- so long as I'm playing well enough to contribute and my experience can help the younger lads then I will play on."

Hick is the third oldest player on the county circuit behind Matthew Maynard of Glamorgan and Leicestershire's Phil DeFreitas, but defiantly demonstrated he is still at the peak of his game. He thrived against a strong Lancashire attack involving international bowlers Dominic Cork, James Anderson, Sajid Mahmood and Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

"I've had some very good battles over the years with Corky and I always feel that if I get runs against him then I've played pretty well," he added.

Lancashire lost their second wicket, after adding just three runs today, when Iain Sutcliffe was trapped lbw by Kabir Ali.