Sussex's new batting star Joe Gatting says hard work is the key to his record-breaking start to the season.

Gatting made 152 against Cambridge UCCE at Fenner’s yesterday, the highest first-class score on debut by a Sussex batsman and only the second debut hundred since 1920.

Gatting had not even got a professional contract a month ago but Sussex signed him on a two-year deal after he made an impressive hundred in a pre-season game against Surrey in Dubai.

The former Albion striker, whose uncle is former England captain Mike, is now likely to open with Ed Joyce in Sunday’s Friends Provident Trophy tie against Gloucestershire and has made a big case to be included in next week’s Championship opener against Lancashire.

He said: “I’ve been batting well in pre-season and it was just nice to be able to take my chances.

“I did a lot of hard work with (coach) Mark Davis before and after Christmas and that has helped me a lot. I have worked hard and it’s nice to get the rewards. I’ve had my opportunity sooner than I expected but at the moment it’s going well.”

Gatting plundered the students’ attack, scoring his runs off 155 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.

Cricket Manager Mark Robinson said: “The wicket started damp so it was hard work at the start and they had some decent bowlers but in the afternoon Joe and Luke Wright knocked the heart out of them.

“One of our goals in pre-season was to score more hundreds and the batters have responded. Too many times we got 60s and 70s last season without converting them into big scores so that’s another positive for us.”

Gatting was one of three Sussex century-makers. Wright continued his impressive early season form by smashing 106 off 90 balls with 13 fours and two sixes as he scored his fifth first-class hundred, although none of them have been made in the Championship.

The pair added 183 for the fourth wicket after Yardy had scored a half-century and there was still time for Rory Hamilton-Brown to score his debut century as well, 106 off 128 balls with 13 fours.

Sussex will declare on their overnight 527-7 today so their bowlers can get overs under their belt with bad weather forecast for tomorrow.