GRAEME Hick passed another batting milestone when his 122nd first class century put Worcestershire in command of the Frizzell County Championship Division Two match at Derby.

Hick's first Championship 100 of the season took him to joint 12th in the all-time list of century makers, level with another Worcestershire great Tom Graveney.

Worcestershire's vice-president was at the County Ground to applaud Hick's brilliance on a day totally dominated by the 37-year-old former England batsman.

His century came from 122 balls and he reached 150 with his fourth sixth, an effortless drive off the Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Ali.

He was eventually eighth out for 155 after facing 165 balls and scoring 120 of his runs in boundaries.

Derbyshire simply had no answer to Hick and paid the price for bowling too short on a warm day when the ball swung.

Worcestershire had made the most of winning the toss by reaching 106 without loss at lunch -- but Derbyshire hit back with three wickets in the first two overs of the afternoon session.

Anurag Singh, Stephen Peters and skipper Ben Smith all fell without playing a shot but Hick hinted at what was to come by hitting five boundaries in his first 26 runs.

Vikram Solanki drove Kevin Dean loosely to gully and Andrew Hall was lbw first ball to put Derbyshire firmly back in the match 172 for five.

But Hick was playing a different game, pulling and driving five fours in two overs from Ali and he raced through the nineties by pulling Graeme Welsh for a six and a four.

Off-spinner Nathan Dumelow was dispatched for two huge sixes, but it was Ali who suffered the most, his 12 overs costing 124 runs and Derbyshire were also guilty of conceding 59 extras, including 32 no balls.

Wicketkeeper Steven Rhodes contributed 29 to a seventh wicket stand of 110 in 27 overs but everyone was outshone by Hick who reached his 150 from 158 balls, his third 50 coming from 36 deliveries.

He was caught off a no-ball on 153, but made only two more before he got under a square cut at Ali and was caught at deep cover.

Worcestershire were all out for 374 and Derbyshire openers Andrew Gait and Michael Di Venuto negotiated an awkward nine-over spell to reach 24 without loss at the close.