GRAEME Hick completed 40,000 first class runs but it was Worcestershire opener Stephen Moore who played the leading role in earning his side a 56-run first innings lead against Warwick-shire at Edgbaston.

Hick became only the 16th player to reach the landmark in the LV County Championship Divi-sion One clash when he made 49 - a tally he failed to add to before falling to South African paceman Dale Steyn.

He left the ground to a standing ovation but the foundations for Worcestershire's 399 all out in reply to the Bears' 343 had already been laid by Moore.

The 26-year-old had registered his first century since the 2005 campaign with 143 in his previous Championship innings and he followed it up with a grafting 112 from 270 balls with 17 fours.

But Warwickshire were left regretting dropping Moore on three occasions - on nought, 55 and 60 - before he was caught behind by Tim Ambrose off James Anyon.

But it is hard to see how title-chasing Warwickshire or bottom-placed Worcestershire will be able to manufacture a positive result on today's final day given the loss already of more than 100 overs to bad weather.

Worcestershire resumed on 77-1 and Moore and captain Vikram Solanki extended their second-wicket partnership to 81 in 24 overs before the latter, on 41, tried to leave alone a Tim Groenewald delivery only for the ball to balloon off his bat to first slip.

The scoring then virtually dried up with Ben Smith taking 31 balls to get off the mark and Moore going into his shell and scoring only 37 in the morning session. Smith (34) eventually fell to a bat and pad catch off Troughton after adding 56 in 26 overs with Moore.

That signalled the entrance of Hick and after making 12 he became only the second Worces-tershire player after Don Kenyon to achieve 30,000 first class runs for the County.

Moore had finally been dismissed - fourth out at 268 in the 91st over - before Hick cut Steyn to the boundary to reach the 40,000-run milestone, but the South African soon had revenge.

Useful contributions from wicketkeeper Steven Davies (26) and Gareth Batty (25) steered Worces-tershire into the lead.

A rapid 39 from Kabir Ali took the County to within five runs of a fifth batting point, but with only one required to reach 400, Doug Bollinger was bowled by Anyon.