Hampshire teenager Tom Prest smashes the second highest one-day innings in the county’s history in record-breaking Royal London Cup win against Kent

The 19-year-old creamed 14 fours and seven sixes in racing to 181 off 138 balls as Hampshire posted a huge 396-5 off their 50 overs.

The only batter who has ever scored more in a limited overs innings for the county is James Vince, who blasted 190 in a Royal London Cup tie against Gloucestershire at The Ageas Bowl three years ago.

If Prest fell short of an individual record, Hampshire set a new team record - their previous highest score in one-day cricket had been 371-4 off 60 overs in a Gillette Cup tie against Lancashire at Southampton in 1975.

Prest shared a second wicket stand of 207 with Nick Gubbins, who himself hit 117 from 107 balls.

Hamid Qadri was the pick of Kent’s bowlers, but even his two wickets came at the cost of 71 runs

The Spitfires slumped from 45 without loss to 233 all out in a run chase that looked doomed as soon as wickets began to fall.

Jack Campbell had Hampshire’s best figures with 4-44, while Alex Blake was Kent’s top scorer with 62.

Prest said: ‘At Beckenham you never really know what’s enough, it’s such a nice pitch to bat on, with a fast outfield, and we were pretty confident we’d defend it.

‘We saw the stats last night at a meeting, that something like 80 or 85 per cent of teams win bowling first. We were actually going to bat first if we’d won the toss so I think if you get a score like we did it’s always hard to chase.

Regarding his innings, he added: ‘It was pretty special, I can’t really believe it to be honest, it was just one of those days when everything went right really.

‘To put on 200 with Gubbo was really special. The pitch was really nice to bat on and we ran between the wickets really well, getting twos and singles.

‘The outfield was really bobbly so it was kind of tough to defend twos, especially out to that long side, so yeah, it was a pretty good day.

‘I felt like I really needed to get a score in this 50 over comp, they trusted me to open the batting all of last summer and I didn’t get above 40.

‘I felt like I needed to kind of prove myself in this format and today at Beckenham was the perfect place to make hay.’

The word was that the wicket wasn’t a “typical Beckenham road,” but Kent’s decision to field looked rash as an attack that had to do without Grant Stewart, who was playing purely as a batter due to a heel injury, struggled to make any impression.

A healthy crowd of over around 1,800 saw Hampshire’s openers reach 49 before Nathan Gilchrist bowled Aneurin Donald for 21. But that was the hosts’ last success for over two hours, as Gubbins and Prest flayed the bowling.

Gubbins cut Joey Evison for four to reach his 50, while Prest survived an early appeal for a catch after reverse sweeping Qadri and reached his half-century by hitting George Linde for six over cow corner.

Gubbins’ century arrived during a bruising over for all-rounder Joey Evison that went for 17. Prest took five from the first two balls and Gubbins hit 12 from the remaining four.

Prest glanced Gilchrist for two to reach three figures, but the stand was finally broken when Qadri took two wickets in the 38th over. Gubbins finally fell when he was caught by Gilchrist and Kent hopes were fleetingly raised when Ben Brown was caught by sub fielder George Ealham for just two.

They quickly nosedived again as Toby Albert joined Prest and made a rapid 35 before he was lbw to Navdeep Saini.

Prest drove Quinn for four to pass 150 and eventually perished in the 50th over when he holed out to Gilchrist and was caught on the boundary by Ealham.

It said something about the way the innings had gone that the home fans were relieved Hampshire hadn’t reached 400.

Kent made a solid enough start to the chase, reaching 45 without loss before Ben Compton was caught by Fletcha Middleton off John Turner for 24.

Campbell then quickly removed both Tawanda Muyeye and Ollie Robinson. The latter made 40 before he was caught behind and Robinson was caught by Scott Currie for 22.

Felix Organ had Joey Evison caught for one by Ian Holland and when Prest then had George Linde caught by Holland for three, Kent were 113-5 and fans were already starting to leave.

They missed some fireworks from Blake, but he rapidly ran out of partners. Stewart offered some brief entertainment with 15 before he fell to a steepling catch by Donald off Organ.

Blake smacked Prest for a six over long off to reach 50 and stood his ground after a strong appeal for a catch off Organ. He fell to a superb diving catch by Donald in the same over, the brilliance of which was nearly matched by Albert when sprinted to remove Qadri off Currie for seven.

Campbell had Matt Quinn caught by Holland for eight and despite some late hitting by Gilchrist, who made his highest List A score of 33, the rout was completed when he swished Campbell to Gubbins.