Ben Draper celebrated his maiden ECB British Gas Southern Premier League century as South Wilts successfully chased down St Cross Symondians’ 237 to win by five wickets at Bemerton.

The 18-year old picked up the baton after South Wilts slipped to 108-4, hitting two sixes and 13 fours during a pivotal century partnership with fellow teen Sam Arnold, which won the match.

Ironically, Draper’s hundred overshadowed another ‘first’ by another youngster Harry Came, who hit 106 for the Winchester visitors.

Former Bradfield College all-rounder Came, whose own century included a six and seven fours, enjoyed a 102-run stand with Logan Van Beek (53).

But will have been desperately disappointed to see St Cross collapse in quite an astonishing manner after he feathered one of three catches to Draper, behind the stumps at 230.

St Cross collapsed like a pack of cards after that, losing six wickets for seven runs as James Hibberd (4-30) and Luke Evans (3-32) sliced through the lower order, with only Harry Foyle (26) making a modest contribution.

St Cross were back in the contest when Jack Bransgrove took a return catch to dismiss left-hand opener Tom Cowley (43) at 108.

But Draper, growing in maturity if not size with every visit to the crease, assumed control after that and built a match winning partnership with leftie Sam Arnold, whose timely return from Loughborough University had provided the former champions with much needed middle-order stability.

While Draper was compiling his maiden hundred, Arnold went about his business and, at 49, was on the cusp of a first SPL fifty when Hibberd smacked a big six to win the game.