Hick puts on Royal performance

The evergreen Graeme Hick scored a brilliant 93 not out

A belligerent knock from Graeme Hick strengthened Worcestershire's lead at the top of NatWest Pro40 Division One as the Royals beat Nottinghamshire by nine runs.

The 41-year-old thumped an unbeaten 93 off 81 balls with three sixes and nine fours as the visitors posted 225 for five from their 40 overs, with Phil Jaques and Ben Smith both contributing 40.

Seamers Doug Bollinger and Kabir Ali then combined to rip through the Notts top order and leave them 46 for five after 13 overs.

David Hussey gave the Outlaws hope with 75 off 80 balls, while Chris Read made 59, but the task eventually proved too much for the hosts as Ali finished with 5-46.

With Ryan Sidebottom unavailable and three other bowlers missing through injury, Notts captain Stephen Fleming opted to field after winning the toss to allow his batsmen to gauge their run chase.

AJ Harris then had Vikram Solanki caught by Hussey at second slip off the third ball of the match and followed up in his next over to trap Ali lbw.

Ben Smith combined in a useful partnership with Graeme Hick

But Jaques was unmoved and counter-attacked, hitting Kyle Hogg for three fours in the 12th over before he hooked the on-loan Lancastrian to Samit Patel at deep square leg.

Hick eased into his innings with a 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ben Smith, who eventually swept Rob Ferley to a diving Will Jefferson at square leg.

Steven Davies was lbw to Graeme Swann soon after, but Hick then wound up through the gears in the closing stages.

After posting his 50 off 61 balls, he needed just 20 more deliveries to add 43, with two consecutive sixes off Harris and a third maximum off Ferley, while Daryl Mitchell made 34 not out off 28 balls.

Notts began their innings in kamikaze fashion, with Fleming lbw offering no shot to Ali in the first over and Swann bowled by Bollinger in the second.

Will Jefferson, recalled to the side in place of Bilal Shafayat, top-edged a cut off Bollinger to Ali at third man and Patel's attempt to pull Roger Sillence only ended in the hands of Mitchell at midwicket.

With Solanki switching his bowlers inventively, Ali returned for one over and promptly induced Mark Wagh into top-edging a pull to cousin Moeen Ali, on as a substitute fielder.

Hussey and Read had no option but to consolidate and put on 118 for the sixth wicket before Ali returned to have Hussey caught on the boundary and bowl Hogg in the same over.

That looked to have sealed the game but Gareth Clough then hit Ali's seventh over for 16, only for Read to be yorked by Bollinger and Ferley bowled by Ali.

Notts needed 18 off the final over but Clough and Harris could not find the boundaries needed.