For a man in a hurry, Phil Salt has had to show some patience this season.

But he was not hanging around yesterday with a spectacular, and career best, 148 which very quickly turned a keenly balance contest at Hove firmly in Sussex’s favour.

Salt, moved to the top of the card after the winter exit of Chris Nash, had to wait a for the big one.

But a second century of the Championship season confirmed him very much as one to watch on a national scale.

Ian Botham mentioned him on Sky Sports in relation to the England Test team as he watched events unfold at Trent Bridge yesterday and noticed score updates from Sussex.

Salt WON’T be opening the innings for England in the next Test.

But he certainly Beefed up Sussex’s push for a precious win.

Who knows what might come the way of the North Walian Manchester City fanatic who learned his cricket growing up in Barbados if he keeps scoring runs at this rate?

Head coach Jason Gillespie gave Salt plenty of time to get into his stride in a new role.

Now he is catching the eye with his big-hitting in both the four-day format and Twenty20.

Salt told The Argus: “It was quite a tough start for everyone in county cricket.

“You had a lot experienced players not doing so well.

“Some of the wickets we played on and the conditions were never in a batsman’s favour.

“It was just about scrapping through that period, doing your basics, reminding yourself that you are not far away and, when you get on wickets more suited to batting, that is when you cash in.

“Opening was a very different challenge at the start of this year having never done it before.

“But I scrapped through. I gained a lot of confidence from how much faith Dizzy (Gillespie) had in me and I guess it is paying dividends.”

If Salt bats for an hour he can change a game.

Yesterday, Derbyshire learnt what he can do in two hours plus.

They started day three 125 behind with five wickets down but two wickets from the improved Ollie Robinson and two more, in successive deliveries, from David Wiese, left them 51 behind on first innings.

Salt and Wells negotiated five overs before lunch and then went on the front foot.

Together they added 191 in the afternoon session to suddenly bring thoughts of a declaration to the forefront.

Salt aired a few of his Twenty20 shots to score 108 in that middle session and, in total, scored 148 from 138 balls with 14 fours and five sixes.

For a long time, Wells almost matched him for scoring tempo.

He will have been disappointed to miss out on three figures, caught for 78 from 101 balls at backward square leg.

Salt had just guided a ramp shot over the keeper for four when he was second man out.

Wiese and Jofra Archer were both moved a place up the order in the quest for quick runs.

Archer came off, with a pair of sixes in his 31 off 29 balls.

But Salt was the cricketing talk of the town – and not just Hove.