Delray Rawlins, the Sussex all-rounder, achieved two batting milestones during the opening day of his team’s Specsavers County Championship second division match with promotion-chasing Nottinghamshire at Hove yesterday.

The left-handed batsman recorded a maiden half-century and also shared in his first hundred partnership at the championship level.

Rawlins, who extended his contract with Sussex at least until the end of 2019 last week, made the visiting side pay after being dropped before getting off the mark. He went on to reach his fifty off 115 balls.

He also led a fightback with Michael Burgess after Sussex slipped to 107 for five. The pair added 123 runs for the sixth wicket in the final session, carrying the home side to 230 for five before bad light halted the day’s play with 8.3 overs remaining.

Rawlins was unbeaten at stumps on 55, with seven boundaries and a six, and Burgess on 67.

“Just happy to get an opportunity and hopefully tomorrow [today] can cash in and make it count,” said Rawlins, who made his first-class debut at home to Kent in April, but has not played at county level since facing Gloucestershire in June.

Nottinghamshire, who require 12 points to seal promotion, seized early control as their seam bowlers exploited ideal bowling conditions on offer at the 1st Central County Ground.

Steven Mullaney led the charge, claiming three wickets with the new ball to put Rawlins and his team-mates on the back foot.

The visiting side were in control after claiming the wicket of Luke Wells in the final over before tea but squandered an opportunity to tighten the screws when Rawlins was put down by Cheteshwar Pujara, the India batsman, at mid-wicket on nought.

The Bermudian took 15 balls to get off the mark, but gradually grew in confidence, belting the first six of the innings down the ground off former England all-rounder Samit Patel.

Wicketkeeper Burgess, who signed his first contract with Sussex last week, reached his fifty with a slog sweep off the orthodox left-arm spin of Patel.

Play will resume today with 104 overs to be bowled to make up for the time lost yesterday.

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