Fast bowler Jackson Bird put his hand up for third Test selection with a blistering display for Australia on day two of the tour match against Sussex in Hove.

Bird was virtually unplayable through his 12 overs on Saturday, taking 2-29 with four maidens.

When heavy rain stopped play midway through the second session, Sussex were 4-151 after 37 overs in response to Australia’s first innings of 5-366 declared.

Storms are predicted to last the night, meaning a resumption is unlikely and a soggy draw is expected for the three-day match.

The Australians batted for just 2.4 overs on Saturday, calling time as soon as Steve Smith brought up his hundred.

Smith scored an impressive 102 not out, smashing Monty Panesar for four to bring up the milestone.

The Australians took three wickets to leave Sussex 3-33, before Rory Hamilton-Brown exploded with a dynamic 73 from 55 balls and England hopeful James Taylor played a watchful innings of 39 not out.

Bird was shaping the ball away brilliantly from the right-hander from the moment he took the new ball, and was unlucky not to inflict more damage.

With James Pattinson to miss the rest of the tour with stress fractures, Bird, Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner are essentially bowling off at Hove for a start in the third Test at Old Trafford next week.

Starc’s left-arm strike ability probably has him as the favourite to be called up for Manchester, but he was a little wayward with the new ball on Saturday.

He had similar figures to Bird at lunch; 1-16 from seven overs, with two maidens, however he didn’t threaten as much as he should have and didn’t bowl again.

Starc was often down the leg side or bowling too wide for the batsmen to bother with.

The young quick was inconsistent in the first Test at Trent Bridge, was dropped for the second Test at Lord’s and Australia need him to be sharper from the get-go.

Bird bowled consistent line and length and finally got his reward when he destroyed the stumps of opener Luke Wells.

Starc got Michael Yardy to hook loosely three overs later, and Ashton Agar took a sitter at fine leg.

Bird then pounced on Chris Nash, who had made it to 27.

After having his measure for the early overs, Bird got him fending at one outside off stump and the catch carried safely to Steve Smith at second slip.

Bird could have had Taylor as his third, but Smith put down a sharp chance low to his left fielding at second slip.

Faulkner (0-23 from six) struggled, while Nathan Lyon (0-39 from six), also trying to fight his way back into the side for Old Trafford, bore the brunt of Hamilton-Brown’s hitting.

In the 20th over of the innings, Lyon was dispatched for four boundaries by Hamilton-Brown, who had also whacked the offspinner for six in the previous over.

Ashton Agar, like Lyon went for 6.5 an over, but did finally claim danger man Hamilton-Brown.