Teen Prodigy Lhuan-dre Pretorious Smashes 61-Year-Old Record With Debut Test Century

Teen Prodigy Lhuan-dre Pretorious Makes History with Debut Test Century

Lhuan-dre Pretorious, a teenage batting sensation, has written his name into the annals of South African cricket history. On Saturday, he became the youngest South African cricketer to achieve a Test century on debut.

The 19-year-old's remarkable feat occurred during the first Test match against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Pretorious shattered a 61-year-old record previously held by the legendary Graeme Pollock.

Lhuan-dre Pretorious celebrates his record-breaking century.

Pretorious arrived at the crease with South Africa in a precarious position at 23 for 3. Displaying remarkable composure and a fearless approach, he remained unbeaten with 128 runs off just 141 balls by the end of the second session. His innings included seven boundaries and four sixes, achieved at an impressive strike rate of 90.78, providing much-needed stability to a new-look Proteas team facing early challenges.

The young right-hander surpassed Pollock’s longstanding record, established in 1964 when Pollock scored a century at 19 years and 317 days against Australia in Sydney. Pretorious, at just 19 years and 93 days, now holds the distinction of being the youngest centurion for South Africa in Test cricket.

He also forged a crucial 95-run partnership for the fifth wicket with fellow debutant Dewald Brevis. Brevis contributed an explosive 51 off 41 deliveries, which included three fours and four sixes.

Pretorious's selection to the national team followed an outstanding domestic season. During the 2024/25 CSA 4-Day Series, he amassed 436 runs in five matches at an average of 72.66, including three centuries. He also made a significant impact in the SA20 league earlier in the year, scoring 397 runs in 12 matches for the Paarl Royals.

At tea, South Africa's score stood at 248 for 6, with Pretorious (128) and Corbin Bosch (22) at the crease.