Lhuan-dre Pretorius becomes youngest South African batter to score Test century

Bulawayo, June 28 (IANS) Teenaged left-handed batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius has become the youngest South African to score a Test century during his side’s first Test against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.

In what is also his Test debut, Pretorius, aged 19 years and 93 days, reached his century with a single off the 113th ball he faced in his knock during the second session of day one’s play on Saturday. In the process, he broke the record previously held by Graeme Pollock to become the youngest Test centurion for South Africa.

Pollock was 19 years and 317 days old when he scored a Test century against Australia in Sydney in 1964. At the tea break, Pretorius is unbeaten on 128 off 141 balls, including hitting seven fours and four sixes after walking out to bat when the score read 23/3.

In what is South Africa’s first game after winning the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) title at Lord’s, they were reduced to 55/4 at one stage, before Pretorius, who is also a wicketkeeper, turned it around for the Proteas alongside fellow debutant Dewald Brevis, who made 51, as the duo shared a 95-run partnership made off just 88 balls.

Pretorius is also the seventh South African batter to hit a Test century on debut after Andrew Hudson, Jacques Rudolph, Alviro Petersen, Faf du Plessis, Stiaan van Zyl, and Stephen Cook. Pretorius was fast-tracked to the South African Test team after enjoying a breakout season in the CSA 4-Day Series.

In that competition, he struck three centuries in five first-class games at an impressive average of 72.66, including hitting a crucial 114 in the final that helped secure a hard-fought draw for the Titans against the Lions.

--IANS

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