Ian Holland scored his maiden first-class century and Aneurin Donald his first Hampshire ton as the county amassed their highest Ageas Bowl total for three years.

Despite the absence of England World Cup duo James Vince and Liam Dawson and injured pair Joe Weatherley (broken ankle) and Tom Alsop (hamstring), Hampshire managed their biggest County Championship total, home or away, since 2017.

Donald’s stunning 173 came from only 143 deliveries and included five sixes and 21 fours.

Teenager Rob Yates hit back with 91 for Warwickshire before Felix Organ, on his home Championship debut for Hampshire, dismissed the 19 year-old nine overs from the close of day two.

With Oli Soames dropped, Organ and Holland formed a new-look opening partnership for a Hampshire side that was asked to bat first by the visitors.

Holland provided the glue and housemate Donald, also recalled to the Hampshire side, the flair to the innings.

They broke an 82-year Hampshire record for the fifth wicket, putting on 262 to surpass the 235-stand between Gerry Hill and Donald Walker at Portsmouth in 1937.

Hampshire were also boosted by Sam Northeast’s half-century on the day he was called up for the England Lions squad to face Australia A at Canterbury this weekend.

Warwickshire had elected to field without a toss on a green-tinged wicket, under glorious blue skies.

After almost seven months out with a stress fracture of the back, it only took Olly Stone 19 balls to find Organ’s outside edge, with a ball that flew to second slip.

After caressing Stone for four Ajinkya Rahane, nicked the next one to first slip.

With the ball nipping around, and Hampshire 31-2, Northeast and Holland rebuilt with a 98-run stand.

Northeast fell for 59, after a 54-ball fifty, soon after lunch when he edged a near-unplayable delivery from Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Rilee Rossouw provided a typically entertaining 34 before he was bowled off his pads by off-spinner Jeetan Patel.

From then on, Holland and Donald dominated the Warwickshire bowling.

Holland reached his fifty from 103 balls and, after easing past his previous best of 58, his brought up ton by sweeping his 201st delivery.

While Holland grafted, 22 year-old Donald scored his first ton since July 2016 from 103 balls, after reaching 50 from 48.

Then he went from 100 to 150 from from his next 20, a jaw-dropping passage of play that included sixes and boundaries galore.

The mammoth partnership ended when Holland edged Stone behind

Donald failed to see out day one when he top edged the final ball to deep square leg as Hampshire closed on 450-6.

They added 89 runs yesterday morning in relatively overcast conditions on what was still a flat wicket.

Lewis McManus (41no) and former Warwickshire star Keith Barker (35) added 60 for the eighth wicket.

But the final two fell for six runs as Stone finished with 5-93.

Warwickshire’s reply started poorly as Will Rhodes edged Kyle Abbott behind to leave the visitors 15-1 at lunch.

That became 39-2 when Dom Sibley, division one’s highest run-maker this season, tamely chipped Abbott to cover.

With 350 runs still required to avoid the follow-on and an uber-accurate and disciplined Hampshire bowling attack asserting plenty of pressure, Yates and Sam Hain (68no) added a dogged142.

Yates was dropped on 35 and 45, with plenty of runs scored through the slip cordon, before passing his previous best score of 49 - only to be caught at mid-wicket nine runs short of a ton.

Hampshire all-rounder Gareth Berg said:“We were a bit unlucky but that’s cricket for you.

“It’s happened once too many times for us but we stuck at it well today.

“I think we bowled well as a unit together and stuck to our basics and knew the ball would do something if we kept it out there.

“We bowled plenty of maidens and dropped a few catches but will come back stronger tomorrow.

“The result of the game might depend on the morning. The new ball so I think the rewards will come. Hopefully the wickets come in clusters.”