Oliver Robinson showed his new Sussex team-mates how to bat with a run-a-ball century on his first-class debut against Durham in the LV= County Championship at the Emirates Durham ICG.
In a bizarre day's cricket, Robinson almost doubled the Sussex total in a last-wicket stand of 164 with Matt Hobden after the visitors had fallen to 171 for nine.
Runs continued to flow when Durham's openers put on 88 inside 16 overs before Robinson completed his outstanding day by having both caught at first slip as the hosts ended on 103 for two.
Robinson and Hobden came together when eight wickets had fallen for 83 runs and made batting look ridiculously easy, just as it had during a second-wicket stand of 88 in 18 overs between Matt Machan and Ed Joyce.
With the ball nipping around after Sussex were inserted on a sunny morning, several of the top order self-destructed as wickets fell regularly in the two hours either side of lunch.
But after going in with Sussex on 145 for seven Robinson looked totally assured and took command after seeing two more wickets go down.
He was joined by Hobden on 171 for nine and the number 11 contributed only three to the 50-run stand before he, too, began to play shots.
They took the total to 335 before Robinson edged the second ball after tea to gully to depart for 110, leaving Hebden unbeaten on 65.
Sussex's previous highest tenth-wicket stand was 156, between G R Cox and H R Butt at Cambridge University in 1908, while the record last-wicket partnership against Durham was 146 between Glen Chapple and Peter Martin at Old Trafford in 1997.
The 21-year-old all-rounder was given his chance against Durham because Tymal Mills (back) joined Lewis Hatchett and James Anyon on the treatment table, having only signed this week.
Having just passed 50 however, he enjoyed a huge slice of fortune as he drove the ball back to John Hastings, who threw down the stumps and video evidence suggested Robinson was lucky not to be given run out.
At that point Paul Collingwood gambled by bringing on himself and Scott Borthwick, but his attempts to persuade Hobden to sky a legside catch resulted in a flurry of boundaries.
With both batsmen now in full cry, Hastings was recalled and tried to bounce them out. A couple of miscued pulls lobbed into space and Hobden fended one delivery just over short-leg's head, but it was all meat and drink to Robinson.
He completed his century off 101 balls by pulling his 17th four off Chris Rushworth, who had enjoyed a spell of 3-5 in 13 balls in early afternoon.
Hobden, with a total of 50 runs in 10 previous first-class innings, pulled Rushworth for four to reach 50 off 65 balls, then drove his second six.
It was Usman Arshad, who had replaced the injured Paul Coughlin, who finally broke the stand to finish with the best figures of 3-41.
When the last-wicket heroes came on as Sussex's first and second-change bowlers they conceded 50 between them in their first five overs.
But Robinson found some extra bounce to remove Keaton Jennings for 35 and Mark Stoneman for 57.
Thanks to @AdrianHarms for the photo of the record-breakers for Sussex today, @ollierob123 and @Hobs19#GOSBTSpic.twitter.com/v8NgfdmfPu
— Sussex CCC (@SussexCCC) April 26, 2015
After his dream start, Robinson said: “I can't believe what's happened. I'm sure I'm not going to have too many days like this.
“I just tried to play nice and straight and keep it simple, but I couldn't have done it without Matt (Hobden). At first we just wanted to get to 200, then 250 – we had no idea about any record stands. We kept each other going.”
Durham coach Jon Lewis said: They played very well. Perhaps there was a bit of expectation on our part, thinking we had got the job done and the last wicket would come easily, but once they got in it became tricky for us.
“The game hasn't got away from us. It's a good pitch and we just need some big partnerships.”