Delray Rawlins’s debut in the North-South Series ended in defeat at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados yesterday.

The Sussex all-rounder and his South team-mates suffered a crushing 96-run defeat against Paul Collingwood’s North side, who completed a comeback to win the three-game 50 overs series.

Led by an aggressive century from Worcestershire’s Joe Clarke, who scored 112, and half-centuries from Warwickshire’s Sam Hain, who notched 51, and Nottinghamshire’s Steven Mullaney, who scored 52, the captain, the North piled up 296 for eight in their allotted overs after electing to bat on a sluggish track.

The South replied with 200 all out, with Rawlins scoring 25 batting at No 5.

The South suffered a setback when opening batsman Nick Gubbins, who scored back-to-back centuries in the first two games played at the Kensington Oval, suffered a hamstring injury while fielding during the first innings and was forced to retire hurt.

Ollie Pope, promoted to opener in Gubbins’s absence, scored 68 to lead a run chase that came up well short.

Saqib Mahmood, the Lancashire seam bowler, claimed two South scalps to finish with a series high eight wickets.

Middlesex’s Tom Barber was the pick of the South bowling with figures two for 48.

The South won the opening game at Kensington Oval by 63-runs with Rawlins blasting 53 from 41 balls.

The 20-year-old will now turn his attention to next week’s four-day first-class Champion County Match which also serves as the traditional curtain-raiser to the English County Championship campaign.

Rawlins, a former Bailey’s Bay and St George’s Cup Match player, has been chosen in the Marylebone Cricket Club’s 11-member squad that will face English County Championship first division champions Essex under floodlights at Kensington Oval between March 27 and 30.

The MCC squad also boasts former Test-match players and will be captained by former England Under-19 batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond.