Delray Rawlins struck an aggressive 41 for Sussex in the their one-day match against a star-studded South African side at Hove yesterday.

Batting at No 6, the 19-year-old Bermuda all-rounder smashed the ball all round the ground, gathering three boundaries and two sixes during a whirlwind 30-ball innings.

Keshav Maharaj, the South Africa left-arm spinner, bore the brunt of Rawlins’ assault as the former Bermuda Under-19 captain and St George’s Cup Match player belted the bowler for two boundaries and as many sixes in the 17th over.

Rawlins and Harry Finch led a Sussex fightback after the hosts were reduced to 87 for four in the twelfth over as South Africa made early inroads with the new ball, the pair adding 67 runs in 8.4 overs before Rawlins was run out nine runs shy of a half century.

Rawlins’ dismissal triggered another slide, Sussex losing four wickets in the space of 38 runs and seven overs, before the home side ran out of overs.

The home side finished with 223 for nine in reply to South Africa’s 289 for four, the tourists winning by a comfortable 66 runs in a match reduced to 32 overs following a start delayed by rain.

Top-order batsman Finch was Sussex’s top scorer with 62 from 59 balls that included seven boundaries, while Philip Salt struck 37 from 33 balls and No 9 Ajmal Shahzad an unbeaten 34 from 26.

Seamers Andile Phehlukwayo and Kagiso Rabada and spinner Maharaj claimed two wickets each.

Led by an unbeaten century from wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and half-centuries from Wayne Parnell and Jean-Paul Duminy, the South Africa captain, the tourists posted a challenging total after being sent in to bat.

Opener De Kock smashed 104 from 78 balls in 86 minutes. He struck five boundaries and seven sixes, including two straight off left-arm spinner Rawlins in the 22nd over of the South Africa innings.

Kock and Parnell produced an opening stand of 121 before South African all rounder Stiaan van Zyl broke the partnership in the 15th over when he trapped the latter batsman lbw for 61.

The left-handed De Kock added a further 76 with Duminy before retiring out at the end of the 24th over with the tourists 197 for two.

Duminy scored 68 from 46 balls with four boundaries and as many sixes before he became the third victim in the penultimate over of the innings with South Africa in control at 264 for three.

Abidine Sakande, the Sussex seamer, claimed two for 62 from six overs.