Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 19, Shatters Miandad's Record With Debut Test Century

South African cricket is celebrating a new star as Lhuan-dre Pretorius, a 19-year-old sensation, achieved a remarkable feat on Saturday. He now holds the record for being the youngest player to score 150 runs in a Test cricket innings.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius celebrates his record-breaking innings with Corbin Bosch.

This historic moment occurred during his debut Test match against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club. Pretorius surpassed a 48-year-old record previously held by Pakistani legend Javed Miandad.

At just 19 years and 93 days old, Pretorius crafted a stunning innings of 153 runs from 160 deliveries. Miandad was 19 years and 119 days old when he scored 163 on his debut against New Zealand in Lahore back in 1976. Furthermore, Pretorius is now the youngest South African to achieve a Test century and ranks as the fifth-youngest overall to score a century on debut in Test history.

His aggressive innings proved crucial, rescuing South Africa from a precarious position of 23 for 3, which later worsened to 55 for 4. Partnering with fellow debutant Dewald Brevis, Pretorius forged a swift 95-run partnership in just 88 balls. Brevis contributed a rapid 51 off 38 balls, including four sixes, marking the fastest Test fifty by a South African debutant.

"I felt the pressure when I came to the crease," Pretorius admitted after the day's play. "Our strategy was to target the spinners, as we recognized that they only had two seam bowlers. I simply enjoy batting, and thankfully, things went my way today."

Pretorius reached his century mark in 112 balls and then his 150 in 157 balls before being dismissed by Tanaka Chivanga, who concluded the day with impressive figures of 4 for 83. His innings included 11 boundaries and four towering sixes.

South Africa concluded Day 1 at 418 for 9, with Corbin Bosch contributing an unbeaten 100 off 124 balls – his own maiden century. He received solid support from Kwena Maphaka (9*) and Codi Yusuf, who added a valuable 27 during a 59-run partnership for the ninth wicket.

Ultimately, the day was dominated by the record-breaking performance of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who has announced his arrival on the international cricket stage in emphatic fashion.