Lhuan-dre Pretorius Breaks 61-Year-Old Record, Becomes Youngest South African To...
19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius is playing his first Test for South Africa against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo these days. In his maiden red-ball match for the Proteas, the young wicketkeeper-batter came out to bat at No. 5 on Saturday (June 28) and scored a century in just 112 balls. He hammered seven fours and a couple of sixes to reach the 100-run mark. By scoring at the age of 19 years and 93 days, Pretorius became the youngest South African batter to score a century on Test debut.
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Economic Times
39 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius? Meet 19-yr-old batsman who smashed Test ton on debut for South Africa against Zimbabwe
Lhuan-dre Pretorius Synopsis Lhuan-dre Pretorius, a 19-year-old, made a sensational Test debut for South Africa against Zimbabwe, scoring a century and breaking Graeme Pollock's long-standing record to become the youngest South African to register a Test half-century. His aggressive batting helped stabilize the innings after early wickets. South Africa may have found their next batting prodigy. ADVERTISEMENT On Saturday, 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius not only made his Test debut against Zimbabwe but also announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, by scoring a century and setting a new national record. The left-handed opener reached his maiden Test fifty off just 53 balls in the second session of Day 1 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and went on to smash a ton in 112 balls with seven boundaries and three maximums. With that, Pretorius became the youngest South African to register a Test half-century, breaking a six-decade-old record held by Graeme Pollock, who was 19 years and 317 days old when he scored 50 against Australia in 1964. Pretorius, at 19 years and 93 days, showed little nerves on debut. He launched the fourth ball he faced down the ground for six, signalling his intent early after South Africa lost early wickets and slipped to 55 for four in the first session. ADVERTISEMENT His counter-attacking knock helped stabilise the innings and push South Africa to a competitive position. A powerful left-handed batter and wicketkeeper, Pretorius has been a standout performer in South Africa's domestic and age-group cricket. He rose through the ranks of the country's elite school system and was already in the South Africa U-19 setup before finishing school. ADVERTISEMENT He spent most of his school years at St Stithians, a known talent hub, before moving to Cornwall Hill in Pretoria for his final year. His performances at the 2023 U-19 World Cup made him South Africa's top run-scorer in the tournament. He made his first-class debut with the Titans the same year. Pretorius also impressed in white-ball formats. In the 2023–24 CSA T20 Knockout Challenge, he was the sixth-highest run-scorer. He made his T20 franchise debut for the Paarl Royals in January 2025, blasting 97 on debut. ADVERTISEMENT First-Class: 7 matches, 485 runs, 3 centuries, average 60.62 7 matches, 485 runs, 3 centuries, average 60.62 List A: 14 matches, 577 runs, 2 centuries, average 44.38 14 matches, 577 runs, 2 centuries, average 44.38 T20s: 38 matches, 1021 runs, 6 fifties, strike rate 146.48 (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Cricket-S Africa reach 418-9 v Zimbabwe as teenager Pretorius bags debut ton
June 28 (Reuters) - Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored 153 on debut and Corbin Bosch an unbeaten maiden century as a much-changed South Africa reached 418 for nine on the opening day of the first test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday. After electing to bat, South Africa were in early trouble at 55-4 with the ball nipping around in the fresh morning conditions, but Pretorius, 19, put on 95 for the fifth wicket with fellow debutant Dewald Brevis (51) to change the course of the innings. Bosch's late burst provided a first test century for the all-rounder as he finished unbeaten on 100 from 124 balls and will resume on the second day with Kwena Maphaka, who has nine. The touring side have only four starters from the side who won the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's this month, with several players rested and captain Temba Bavuma unavailable due to injury. Pretorius' 153 came from 160 balls as the left-hander became the youngest South African to score a century on test debut, hitting 11 fours and four sixes. Zimbabwe twice felt they had him caught behind, but with no third umpire in operation for the two-game series, their vociferous appeals were turned down with no way to challenge the decisions. Seamer Tanaka Chivanga got early joy for the hosts with an excellent spell of bowling, picking up three wickets in the first session and adding the prized scalp of Pretorius for figures of 4-83. The South African youngster tried to pull a steep bouncer from Chivanga but succeeded only in skying the ball to Wellington Masakadza at mid-on. Chivanga removed openers Tony de Zorzi (0) and Matthew Breetzke (13), and David Bedingham (0) in his first spell, bringing Pretorius to the wicket with the score on 23. Wiaan Mulder (17) looked in good touch before he was run out chasing a quick single, but Brevis and Pretorius shared a quickfire 95-run partnership in 86 balls to swing the momentum South Africa's way. Kyle Verreynne (10) came and went cheaply, before Pretorius and Bosch added 108 for the seventh wicket to put the tourists firmly in control. (Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Zimbabwe players' rage boils after Lhuan-dre Pretorius refuses to walk despite snick, baffled at on-field umpire's call
Lhuan‑dre Pretorius became the youngest South African to smash a century in Test cricket on Saturday; however, he had fortune favouring him during his maiden Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. With South Africa reeling at 24/3 on a day everything seemed to crumble, Pretorius strode to the crease just as pressure mounted. He saw Wiaan Mulder being dismissed during his stay at the crease that put the Proteas under further pressure, with another debutant – Dewald Brevis – joining him in the middle. Zimbabwe players weren't impressed with Lhuan-dre Pretorius not walking after edging the delivery(X) In the 25th over, with the score at 68/4 and debut nerves swirling, Pretorius faced Tanaka Chivanga's delivery outside off-stump, leaning in to drive. However, the ball nipped in sharply, clipping the inside edge with a woody 'thud' that echoed off the bat and straight into the keeper's gloves. Zimbabwe players leapt into action, appealing fiercely for a caught-behind. The umpire, surprisingly, adjudged him not out, which sent the Zimbabwean fielders in disbelief. Interestingly, one of the Zimbabwe players also went up to Pretorius and taunted him, saying he should've walked by himself. Watch: The incident marked a turning point. Rather than retreat, Pretorius seized momentum, digging in resolutely and converting a narrow escape into a spectacular stand. He added 95 runs for the fifth wicket alongside fellow debutant Dewald Brevis, who had earlier blasted a breathtaking 41-ball fifty. Their partnership pulled South Africa into a position of strength, a direct contrast to the morning's collapse. Pretorius eventually scored a brilliant 153, showcasing his temperament and talent. His innings was a blend of calculated footwork and aggressive intent, with 11 crisp fours and four sixes.. That knock not only lifted the innings but also catapulted him into the record books as the youngest South African centurion in Tests, surpassing Graeme Pollock's 1964 mark at 19 years, 317 days. Pretorius achieved the feat at 19 years, 93 days. Credited to a breakthrough SA20 season with 397 runs for Paarl Royals, Pretorius carried that momentum into the CSA 4-Day Series, compiling 436 runs at 72.66, including three hundreds and a fifty. Despite a slow start, South Africa comfortably went past the 300-run mark during the third session, with Corbin Bosch also smashing a half-century. For the hosts, Tanaka Chivanga was the pick of the bowlers on Day 1; by the time of writing this copy, he had picked four wickets for 67, with an opportunity to complete a five-wicket haul.
