Felix Organ and Ben Duggan each hit hundreds in a Hampshire Academy total of 299-3, but neither was able to prevent New Milton racing to a comfortable five-wicket win on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.

Instead, it was Ryan Beck’s maiden competitive century, preceded by a typically charismatic 89 by Toby Edwards, which swept the Green & Golds home with eight overs to spare.

Beck was delighted with his hundred, but said the result was much more important.

“I’d been out three times previously for 95, so to eventually make a Premier League century was very special,” he said.

“But it was more important that we won the first game of the season to get some win points on the board.

“We thought 299 was a par score on the compact Nursery Ground, but we still needed to bat well to chase it down.”

Duggan, whose unbeaten 121 contained 13 fours, and Organ shared a double century partnership for the Academy.

Organ is in a particularly rich vein of form – he struck three sixes and 17 boundaries in an elegant 125, his fourth successive century, the previous three having come at Canford School.

A youthful Academy side, led by the evergreen James Tomlinson, possibly fancied their chances when they reduced New Milton to 69-3 (Dave Wakefield 26).

But Edwards, late of Southampton’s King Edward VI School, hit a blistering 89 (three sixes and 13 fours) and when he was fourth out to Jake Goodwin (4-42) at 184-4, New Milton were well on their way.

Beck knew the significance of his middle-order role and, once established, proceeded to pepper the inexperienced Academy attack around the lightning outfield.

He blazed two sixes and 15 fours as New Milton posted 300-5 to chalk up a five-wicket win.