In the exciting opening of the SA20 2025 season, the 18-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius made headlines with leading demonstrations of Paarl Royals vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape Saturday, January 11. His blast of 97 runs from just 51 balls has been widely celebrated, including praise from England's Test captain. Ben Stokes.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius: A Star Is Born
Pretorius, who entered the arena together with professional players like Joe Roothe showed incredible talent and confidence, reminiscent of professional cricketers. After a cautious start, he chased down his scoring, hitting 10 fours and sixes in his innings. His knock helped set up a successful chase for the Royals, who needed just 44 runs with nine wickets in hand when they were dismissed.
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– Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) January 11, 2025
In his post-match speech, Pretorius described the incident as a “a dream come true.” He appreciated the opportunity to learn from established players like Root, saying, “I just try to be like a sponge and absorb everything.”
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Ben Stokes comments
Stokes took to social media to praise Pretorius' performance, stressing the importance of franchise cricket in providing young talent with an opportunity to shine at the big stages. He tweeted, “One of the many things cricket has done is give young/unexperienced but very talented players a chance to play against the best players in the world and show how good they are. Lhuan-dre Pretorius is doing that right now.
One of the many things cricket has done is to give young / inexperienced but very talented players an opportunity on the biggest stage against the best players in the world and show how good they are.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius is doing this right now 👏— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 11, 2025
Pretorius is not new to competitive cricket; in the past he has excelled in the Under-19 World Cup and has excelled in the intermediate T20 leagues. His performance in the match not only marked his SA20 debut but also demonstrated his potential as one of South Africa's young cricketers. Given his impressive start and the recognition he has received, many are optimistic about Pretorius' future in cricket. If he continues to build on this, he will soon find himself representing South Africa at the highest level.