SOUTHAMPTON, England, CMC – Bermuda captain Delray Rawlins smashed a counter-attacking half-century to hold Sussex together on Tuesday on day two of their Second XI Championship match against Hampshire.
The left-hander top-scored with 68 from just 65 deliveries, a half-century that helped the hosts to 223 all out, and a first-innings lead of 28 at the Ageas Bowl.
Hampshire then battled to 203 for seven in their second innings – a lead of 175 heading into Wednesday’s day three.
Resuming the morning on five with Sussex on 68 for four, Rawlins led his side’s revival, first in a 28-run, fifth wicket stand with 18-year-old right-hander Charlie Tear (18) and then in a sixth wicket partnership of 80 with another 18-year-old Archie Lenham (18).
Overall, the 25-year-old Rawlins punched five fours and half-dozen sixes before he was sixth out, bowled through the gate by leg-spinner Mason Crane (3-25), who played a single Test for England five years ago.
Once Rawlins perished, however, the Sussex innings slipped into terminal decline, with the last five wickets tumbling for 61 runs.
Batting a second time, Hampshire got a top score of 47 from middle-order batsman Aneurin Donald, 35 from 20-year-old opener Tom Prest and 31 from 21-year-old Toby Albert before suffering a late slide.
Prest put on 35 for the first wicket with Joe Weatherley (13) before adding a further 30 for the second with Albert, who then posted 43 for the third with Donald, the right-hander lashing half-dozen fours and a six in his 43-ball cameo.
Rawlins picked up a single wicket with his left-arm spin when he bowled Albert at 108 for three.
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