SYDNEY, July 20 AAP - Mike Hussey won a prestigious race against Mark Ramprakash yesterday.

The West Australian left-hander and the gifted, but regularly unlucky, England Test No.6 were chasing the honour of becoming the first batsman to score 1,000 first-class runs this English county season.

Hussey was the captain of Northamptonshire against Worcestershire. Ramprakash led Surrey against Kent. Hussey had 930 runs to his name - eight less than Ramprakash, but nine more than Graeme Hick. Remember him?

Hussey was playing against Hick, as well as Australia's Test and one-day paceman Andy Bichel. Hussey called Hick's toss correctly and the 27-year-old opener sent himself in.

At Canterbury, Ramprakash lost the toss and was forced to field.

Hussey knocked off the 70 runs he needed with a minimum of fuss, then continued on his merry way to his fourth century of another run-filled season with Northants. He was 163 not out at stumps, with 29 boundaries. Bichel took 1-94 from 26 overs.

It's been a good year for Hussey.

He won $200,000 in February for a sweep shot in a one-day game against NSW that struck an ING sign behind the fence at square leg at the WACA Ground.

He pocketed $80,000 and his team-mates split the rest.

In May, he was among the 25 players given a contract by the Australian Cricket Board after he'd been overlooked the year before.

And yesterday, he was chosen in the Australia A one-day side to tour South Africa for seven games in September.

That vote of confidence from the national selectors put him in the reckoning for next year's World Cup.

© 2002 AAP

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.