Delray Rawlins has signed a new deal keeping him at Sussex County Cricket Club at least until the end of 2019.

The Bermuda all-rounder has been awarded with a contract extension after a string of impressive displays this season both at the international and domestic levels.

It is the second time in six months that Rawlins has been offered a new deal after having his initial one-year deal extended in March at least until the end of 2018.

“To get the security of having more time here is something that excites me,” Rawlins told the Sussex website. “I can get my head down and try to push to get in the first team.”

Rawlins completed a meteoric rise through English cricket after making his first-class debut for Sussex in their opening Specsavers County Championship second division match against Kent at Hove in April.

He is the first Bermudian to play first-class cricket and the second Bermudian-born player, after David Hemp in 1991 with Glamorgan, to make the grade at County Championship level.

“It was definitely a step up and as a batter you get more bowlers who do the right things for longer periods of time so you have to battle and work hard for longer periods of time to be successful,” Rawlins said.

“A massive eye-opener and I know where I am at and what areas to work on my game.”

Rawlins admits playing first-class cricket at the age of 19 far exceeded his expectations.

“When I signed back in October [2016], my first one [contract], it would not have been on my radar to be in the frame so early,” Rawlins said. “To get the opportunity was so nice to see where I was at as a player. Now I can go and work on my game and hopefully in the next year and the coming years I can push to be in the team more often.”

Rawlins’s first-class debut followed on the heels of a phenomenal England Under-19 debut in India, where he averaged 78.42 with the bat, thumping two centuries and two half-centuries, and claimed nine wickets with his slow left arm.

He again underlined his potential this season with a knock of 96 for Sussex against the touring South Africa A team at Hove.

“That was a period where I was sort of in and around the first team and if a batter went down I was probably next one in,” he said.

“I always felt I was in a good place and in good nick and just waiting for my opportunity and managed to get it against South Africa A. Unfortunately not able to get over the line, but I’ll take 96 over five or ten any day of the week. I felt good and that was another good win for the boys and to turn that side over in three days was special as well.”

Rawlins helped Sussex win the Second XI Twenty20 championships, stroking 40 batting at No 4 and claiming two wickets in his team’s 22-run win over Hampshire in the final.

“Everyone did well; the bowlers done their jobs, the batters did their jobs and it was nice to get runs in the final and contribute to a win,” he said. “It was very nice to actually win a trophy.”

With the English domestic season drawing to a close, Rawlins has turned his attention to an upcoming five-month spell in Sydney, Australia where he intends to continue his development.

“I will be away in Sydney for five months playing club cricket over there and first time over there and so I’m really looking forward to it,” Rawlins said.

“That will be my opportunity to keep developing my bowling and obviously keep developing the batting side of things facing tough opposition out there and see where my game is at over that side of the world.”