Sussex Cricket: Bermuda's Own Delray Rawlins Scores Maiden Century in 'Exhilarating Partnership of 128'

Bermuda’s own Delray Rawlins has scored his maiden century in what Sussex Cricket describes as “an exhilarating sixth-wicket partnership of 128 with David Wiese during an entertaining afternoon session at Emirates Old Trafford”.

But despite the “first-class” performance the sussexcricket.co.uk website reports: “He could not prevent” was “Sussex losing their Division Two match against Lancashire…by an innings and 51 runs seven balls into the evening session” on Day 3.

In the end, Lancashire gained “23 points for their victory and return to the top of the table but Sussex’s third successive defeat puts a severe dent in their hopes of winning promotion this season”.

“But the highlight of Monday’s cricket was undoubtedly the batting of Rawlins, who hit 12 fours and three sixes, reaching his century off 99 balls with his third maximum, a blow which was still rising just before crossing the rope in front of the pavilion.”

The report continues: “Rawlins was dismissed next ball when Parkinson clung on to a sharp return catch and the leg-spinner took his third wicket when he had Wiese leg before wicket four overs later for 77. Lancashire’s only other wicket in an afternoon session which saw 197 runs scored was taken by Richard Gleeson, who had Chris Jordan caught behind by Dane Vilas for 11.

“But all this entertainment and the aggression of Rawlins and Wiese was in contrast to the opening hour of play in which Sussex’s hesitant and error-strewn batting had resulted in the loss of four wickets.

“Varun Chopra was the first to go for 15 when he nibbled at a ball he probably did not need to play from Gleeson and was caught behind by Vilas.

“Less than three overs later Luke Wells was leg before wicket to Graham Onions for a third-ball duck and Stiaan van Zyl followed for six soon after when a flick down the leg side off Gleeson only edged another catch to Vilas.

“The important dismissal of visiting skipper Ben Brown, caught at midwicket by Haseeb Hameed for four when chipping a ball from Onions into the leg side, meant that Sussex had lost four wickets inside the first hour at Old Trafford.”

By the time Rawlins batted “Sussex seemed likely to lose heavily but Rawlins’ batting brought a smile back to the faces on the away dressing room balcony”, the report added.

Rawlins is quoted as saying: “After facing two balls and not getting any in the first innings it was nice to cash in and get the monkey off my back by getting my first hundred.

“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well the last couple of weeks and I’ve got a couple of scores but I’ve not been able to kick on.

“It’s a shame about the result because nobody likes losing but it’s a nice personal milestone for me.” he said.

“Hopefully in the next few weeks we can turn it around as a team and get some more wins. David Wiese played some incredible shots out there and he nearly caught me up at one point. It’s nice to see him back in the runs again.”

Through it all he said: “It’s been a tough couple of weeks and if anyone had got a hundred, the boys would have been on the balcony but the boys knew that getting the first one is important and it was nice to have their support and feel it out in the middle

“My bowling’s still a work in progress and hopefully in a few years’ time I can be considered an out and out all-rounder.

“We’ve struggled a bit in championship cricket so it’s nice that T20 is round the corner. We have new faces coming in and hopefully we can go one better than we did last year when we got to the final and this year actually lift the trophy.”

Win, lose or draw, either way – on behalf of Bermuda Real and your Bermuda home base – Well Done & Congratulations on Your Maiden Century!