Sussex have handed Academy graduate Tom Haines his first professional contract.

The one-year deal keeps the Crawley-born 18-year-old at The 1st Central County Ground until at least the end of next season.

A left-handed opening batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler, Haines is a product of the Sussex youth system and has been part of the Academy for the past four seasons.

The former Hurstpierpoint College pupil made two first-team appearances for Sussex during the 2016 Specsavers County Championship campaign.

Haines, a member of the Sussex 2nd XI which won the ECB Second XI T20 competition, is the fifth Sussex Academy graduate to have signed a new contract or contract extension with the county in recent weeks along with Delray Rawlins, Abi Sakande, Luke Wells and Stuart Whittingham.

Haines said: “I am very pleased to have signed my first professional contract with the club.

“The Academy has been great preparation for this next step in my career and I’m looking forward to getting started and training hard this winter ahead of next season”.

Sussex’s Director of Cricket Keith Greenfield added: "Tom has been a stand out batsman through our youth and Academy cricket. He has already scored two hundreds for the 2nd XI and is a very exciting talent for us to progress over the years to come."