PHIL Jaques prepared for his imminent departure to play for Australia `A' in the Top End Series with his second double century in just 11 innings.

The Aussie left-hander starred for Worcestershire on the first day of his side's Liverpool Victoria County Championship division two match against Northamptonshire.

But Jaques' knock of 202 was very nearly trumped by Graeme Hick, who ended the day unbeaten on 93 -- just seven short of completing the remarkable feat of scoring 100 hundreds for Worcestershire.

The duo put on 247 for the fourth wicket -- a new County record against Northants.

There is guaranteed to be a big crowd at New Road today as Hick looks for the runs that will make him only the eighth batsman to compile 100 hundreds for the same county.

A century, which would be his 130th, will also take him past Sir Len Hutton in the all-time list of first-class century makers into eighth place.

Jaques, who leaves the County for five weeks after this game, reached his double hundred off 289 balls with 27 fours and a six as the lynchpin of the County's 394-4 -- another good day with the bat from Steve Rhodes' men.

Worcestershire's first game at headquarters for almost a month was played on the closest wicket to the River Severn end of the square as the pavilion side is still recovering from the rigours of the recent Elton John concert.

In their last three games, Worcestershire have piled on the runs when batting first, but questions persisted as to whether they could replicate that form on home soil.

Vikram Solanki won the toss and elected to bat, thus giving his fellow batsmen the chance to prove themselves in front of their own fans.

Stephen Moore made a flying start and had raced to 29 -- putting on 43 for the first wicket with Jaques -- before he was run out by a sharp piece of fielding from Bilal Shafayat at cover.

Solanki (23) was then caught at gully by former New Road opener Stephen Peters off the bowling of Australian Matt Nicholson.

And Ben Smith became the second run-out victim of the innings in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Having made a fluent 21, he defended a delivery and Jaques called him through for the single.

But, believing he was running to the `safe' end, he dawdled towards the crease only for Nicholson to gather at the strikers' end and hit the stumps opposite with the ball going through a startled Smith's legs.

Then came the Hick and Jaques show. The duo came together on 139-3 and dismantled the Northants attack in their record-breaking stand to put the County well on the way to another imposing first innings score.