Back injury holds up early progress at Sussex for Brandon fast bowler Tymal Mills

Brandon bowler Tymal Mills is enjoying his start to life at Sussex, despite picking up a back injury in just has second match.

The 22-year-old former Mildenhall College pupil made a fresh start in the winter when he left Essex and opted to try and find his feet on the south coast.

The fast bowler toured Sri Lanka at the start of 2014, having shadowed the England senior side during the unsuccessful Ashes tour during the winter.

He struggled to find consistent fitness though and first-team opportunities became limited. The Suffolk youngster subsequently signed a two-year deal with LV County Championship Division One side Sussex in a bid to take the next step in his career.

Three wickets in his new team's first game of the season – a 92-run win at Hampshire – was followed by a blank on his home debut as Sussex beat Worcestershire by 61 runs but Mills' involvement was curtailed by injury in the second innings.

'Two games into the new season and two wins for Sussex. It's great way to start with my new team,' Mills said.

'I've been down in Brighton since November and I've settled in very well. I had a good pre-season in Spain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the club feels like home.

'The one down side is that I picked up a slight knock against Worcestershire. I've had a scan on my back and that will hopefully reveal the extent of the injury. But it shouldn't be too bad, possibly a couple of weeks out, we just played it safe.'

Mills has been clocked bowling at speeds as fast as 93mph, resulting in plenty of interest in his progress from the England selectors.

If he is ever to get a chance for the national side, he must find some consistent form and fitness. That doesn't look to be happening just yet though.

'Next up is Durham away, I won't make the trip up north, I'll be resting my back instead,' Mills revealed on his Twitter account @tmills15.

'It will be a tough match, they've been established in Division One for some time now and we know we'll have to play well to get a result. So we won't be resting on our laurels after two wins.

'Even though we've started the season off well we know we still have things we can definitely improve, we feel we can do better.'

Mills was signed at the same time as former England bowler Ajmal Shahzad, who joined from Nottinghamshire and who has hit the ground running at Hove, taking 12 wickets in four innings so far and also scoring over 140 runs.

'I was glad to be on the pitch, though, to see Ajmal Shahzad get a five-fer,' Mills added. 'We joined at the same time and we've become good mates.

'He bowled well. He was pumped up and got the wickets he deserved and bowled us to victory (against Worcestershire).

'We've both been well looked after since we came to Sussex. Joycie (captain Ed Joyce) has let us express ourselves, told us to bowl fast and be ourselves, which as a fast bowler is great.'