Wernars impresses on Sussex debut

It was with the bat that Wernars grabbed the headlines for his magnificent 167 not out against Preston Nomads at Horntye Park Sports Complex on Saturday.

But he made an impact with the ball in Sussex’s LV County Championship Division One match against Yorkshire at Hove, taking 2-13 off 8.5 overs with five maidens in the visitors’ first innings.

Sussex coach Mark Robinson said: “Kirk is the youngest member of the squad, and he is making his first class debut in a foreign country and did brilliantly. He’s more of a batter who can bowl, but he bustled in and offers us something different to the other bowlers.”

Wernars and fellow South African Wayne Parnell took the lion’s share of the plaudits on day three as Yorkshire were bowled out for 273 in reply to Sussex’s huge first innings score of 548-4 declared.

But the 19-year-old left-handed batsman and right arm fast-medium bowler didn’t get a bowl in the visitors’ second innings as Yorkshire reached 314-8 to force the draw.