South Africa may have found their next batting prodigy.
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.
His counter-attacking knock helped stabilise the innings and push South Africa to a competitive position.
Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
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.
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.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius stats: Career snapshot before test debut
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.
A debut that just keeps getting better for Lhuan-dré Pretorius! 🧢🔥
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 28, 2025
What a sublime innings, a sensational maiden Test century filled with grit, class, and total composure! 🇿🇦💯🏏 #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/tV9zhfs1U4
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.
His counter-attacking knock helped stabilise the innings and push South Africa to a competitive position.
Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
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.
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.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius stats: Career snapshot before test debut
- First-Class: 7 matches, 485 runs, 3 centuries, average 60.62
- List A: 14 matches, 577 runs, 2 centuries, average 44.38
- T20s: 38 matches, 1021 runs, 6 fifties, strike rate 146.48
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