Delray Rawlins says it was “nice to get the monkey off the back” after blasting a maiden first-class century in English county cricket yesterday.

The Sussex all-rounder achieved the milestone on the third day of his team’s Specsavers County Championship second division match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Bermudian put the Lancashire attack to the sword, stroking 100 from as many balls with 12 fours and three sixes. He brought up the century with a towering six off leg spinner Matthew Parkinson.

“Obviously it’s nice to get a hundred and get the monkey off the back as they say,” said Rawlins, who reached his half-century after dispatching seam bowler Richard Gleeson to the boundary for four.

“I just tried to play the way I play and put the pressure back on them and it came off. Conditions were tough; it spun a bit. I just stuck to my guns and my plans, and it came off.”

The left-handed batsman came to the crease in the seventeenth over with his team struggling at 39 for four in their second innings and featured in two fruitful partnerships.

He added 78 for the fifth wicket with opener Phillip Salt (37) and a further 128 with South African David Wiese for the sixth wicket as Sussex chipped away at a first-innings deficit of 369 after Lancashire replied to their first-innings 127 with 496 declared to take firm control of the scheduled four-day match.

“The partnership with Dave was nice; it was nice to spend time in the middle again with him,” Rawlins added.

Rawlins’s 128-minute stay at the crease came to an end on the very next ball after reaching his hundred as Parkinson held a sharp return catch. His dismissal sparked a collapse in which the last five wickets fell for 61, as Lancashire romped to victory by an innings and 51 runs.

“It was a tough game for us,” Rawlins added. “But we have to put it behind us and move on to T20 cricket now and show off in that format.”

The 21-year-old was making his fourth successive first-class appearance for Sussex, having featured in championship matches against Durham and Northamptonshire, and in the tour match with Australia A, stroking 69 in the first innings.

Rawlins’s century arrived a day after Sussex team-mate Jofra Archer won the ICC World Cup with England after beating New Zealand on boundaries at Lord’s after a super over, which he bowled.

“I’m so happy for him,” Rawlins said.

“I was so happy that you would have thought I won it. It just showed the world again how good he is.”