ZIM vs SA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius becomes youngest South African batter to score a century on Test debut

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New Delhi: South Africa’s Lhuan-dre Pretorius scripted history on Saturday after he became the youngest South African to smash a century on Test debut. He achieved the feat on the first day of the first Test match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Coming on to the crease when the Proteas were struggling at 23/3 after opting to bat first, Pretorius played a mature and sensible innings smashing a ton off just 112 balls to become the youngest Test centurion for the team at 19 years and 93 days. He broke the record of Stiaan van Zyl from December 2014, who had achieved the milestone in 129 balls on his debut against West Indies in Centurion.

Pretorius smashes splendid knock

The teenage batter also became the seventh South African player overall to smash a century on Test debut. Pretorius went on to score 153 runs off 160 balls which included 11 fours and 4 sixes against the hosts as the Proteas comfortably crossed the 350-run mark in the first innings with numerous overs left in the first day’s play.

Youngest Test centurions for SA on debut

With a sensational hundred on Test debut, Pretorius joined a host of Proteas players like Andrew Hudson (1992 vs WI), Jacques Rudolph (2003 vs BAN), Alviro Petersen (2010 vs IND), Faf du Plessis (2012 vs Australia), Stiaan van Zyl and Stephen Cook (2016 vs ENG) in the list.

South Africa were on a roll with innings and apart from the young left-handed batter, Dewald Brevis also scored useful 51 runs while Corbin Bosch also notched up a stylish half-century to steer the innings ahead.