GRAEME Hick produced another batting masterclass to guide Worcestershire Royals to a comfortable eight-wicket Norwich Union League win over Somerset Sabres at Taunton and back to the top of the table.

The skipper led the way with a chanceless 141 not out as his side made light of a victory target of 270, getting home with more than four overs to spare.

Vikram Solanki (58) and Ben Smith, with an undefeated 64, also took a heavy toll on some wayward bowling.

Somerset were lethargic in the field and never looked capable of defending a reasonable total of 269 for eight in which there were half centuries for Ian Blackwell, Mike Burns and Rob Turner.

It was Turner's benefit match and for the popular wicketkeeper there was the consolation of gate receipts from a good crowd and a collection which raised more than £1,200.

But in all other respects it was Hick's day. He came in at the fall of Andy Bichel's wicket with only four runs on the board and completely dominated an injury-hit home bowling attack, lacking Andy Caddick, Richard Johnson and Simon Francis.

There were majestic shots all around the wicket in his 114-ball innings, the pick of them an effortless straight six off pace bowler Steffan Jones in the closing stages.

The match was effectively decided in the first 15 overs of the Worcestershire reply, which saw Hick and Solanki smash 121, despite the early fall of Bichel to a sharp slip catch by Keith Dutch.

Solanki looked untroubled in scoring 58 from 51 balls, with eight fours and a six, before being brilliantly caught by Somerset captain Burns diving to his right at mid-on.

Hick then found another fluent partner in Smith, who came close to matching his skipper's strike-rate in an unbroken third wicket span of 139.

By the time the winning runs were hit with 28 balls still available, Hick had hit 17 fours and two sixes on the ground where he once scored 405 not out in a County Championship match.

Somerset's batsmen seemed to have done an adequate job, even given the true nature of the pitch and a short boundary on one side.

But, from 131 for two, with the powerful Blackwell going well, they lost wickets too regularly to build a really formidable total. Bichel was the pick of the County bowlers with 2-34 off nine overs.