South Africa teenager Pretorius becomes youngest test cricketer to score 150 on debut

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — South Africa teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest player to score 150 runs in test cricket on Saturday against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club.

Pretorius made 153 on debut in the first test at 19 years, 93 days. He was 26 days younger than when Pakistan’s Javed Miandad tallied 163 in 1976 against New Zealand in Lahore.

Pretorius was the fifth youngest man in test history to score a century on debut, and the youngest South African.

Corbin Bosch, playing his second test, also scored a century, getting there on the third-to-last ball of the day.

South Africa was 418-9 at stumps after the first day.

“It was amazing,” Pretorius said. “I was quite nervous (when I walked in). I’m glad (the debut is) over. We knew they only had two seamers and we knew we could take the spinners out of the attack. I just love batting, fortunately it worked out for me today.”

For their first test in neighboring Zimbabwe in 11 years, the Proteas picked only four of the 11 who won the World Test Championship final at Lord’s this month. Among those not picked were captain Temba Bavuma, player of the final Aiden Markram, and Kagiso Rabada, who took nine wickets.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj was the stand-in captain and chose to bat first with three debutants in Pretorius and allrounders Dewald Brevis and Codi Yusuf.

They were soon in trouble at 23-3, when Pretorius walked in, and 55-4, when Brevis joined him. The debutants shared 95 in 88 balls for the fourth wicket bridging lunch.

There’s no video review, and Pretorius didn’t walk on 30 when he edged behind and was given not out. It would have been Tanaka Chivanga’s fourth wicket in six overs. He appeared to nick behind again on 127.

Pretorius reached his 50 in 53 balls, followed by Brevis’ 50 in 38, the fastest by a South African debutant. Brevis was out for 51, including four sixes.

Pretorius broke Graeme Pollock’s record to become the youngest South Africa century-maker — 100 off 112 balls — followed after tea by 150 in 157 balls.

Chivanga finally got Pretorius to pull at a short ball that popped to mid-on. He scored 153 in 160 balls with 11 boundaries and four sixes.

Yusuf’s own useful contribution was 27 in a 59-run ninth-wicket stand with Bosch.

Bosch was dropped on 2 and 97 and got to his century in the last over with a single toward backward square leg. His hundred took 124 balls and included 10 boundaries.

Bosch had support from No. 11 batter Kwena Maphaka, who was 9 not out.

Chivanga has 4-83.

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