NEW DELHI: Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius has catapulted himself into the spotlight after a breathtaking 97 off just 51 balls on debut during the SA20 league, guiding the Paarl Royals to a commanding nine-wicket win over Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Boland Park on Saturday.
At just 18, the SA20 rising star exhibited extraordinary composure, strength, and range in an innings that included 10 fours and six towering maximums.
Pretorius was electric from the start, unleashing a mix of audacious pulls and commanding drives that set the stage for a 132-run opening stand with the ever-reliable Joe Root.
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The England batting maestro, calm and calculated, played the perfect foil, remaining unbeaten on 62 off 44 deliveries. Together, they dismantled a Sunrisers attack filled with experienced campaigners.
Root heaped praise on his young partner after the match. “Phenomenal,” he said. “We’ve seen what he’s capable of during the warm-up games, but to replicate that on this stage, against such quality bowlers, was scintillating. He made my job a lot easier. Hopefully, he can build on that for the rest of the tournament now.”
Root commended Pretorius’ ability to remain unfazed under pressure. “He’s such a strong boy, hits the ball so cleanly. He’s got such wide-ranging areas where he can score and access the ground. It’s more a case of just trying to keep things simple for him. The more he trusted his ability, the cleaner he struck it, and the harder it was for them to keep him quiet,” Root added.
The Sunrisers looked in a strong position earlier, thanks to captain Aiden Markram’s elegant 82 off 49 balls, forming a crucial 102-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (28 not out).
However, the Royals’ bowlers, led by teenager Kwena Maphaka (2/35) and spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/27), kept the Sunrisers to 175/5.
The Royals now head confidently into a Western Cape derby against MI Cape Town on Monday, while the Sunrisers aim to regroup ahead of their Centurion clash against the Pretoria Capitals on Tuesday.
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