In the exciting opening of the 2025 SA20 season, the 18-year-old Juan-dre Pretorius she hit the headlines with a sensational debut performance for Paarl Royals v Sunrisers, Eastern Cape on Saturday, January 11. His explosive innings of 97 runs off just 51 balls drew widespread acclaim, including praise from the England Test captain Ben Stokes.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius: A Star is Born
Pretorius, who came out on the field with experienced players like Joe Roothe showed extraordinary talent and confidence, reminiscent of the greats of cricket. After a cautious start, he accelerated his scoring, hitting 10 fours and 6 sixes during the innings. His knock was instrumental in setting up a successful run for the Royals, who needed just 44 runs with nine wickets in hand when he was dismissed.
What a delivery 🚀 for @DP_Svijet Dispatch of the day. #BetwaySA20 #PRvSEC #goodbyeunbelievably pic.twitter.com/P9vEu6cH36
— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) January 11, 2025
In his post-match comments, Pretorius described the experience as “a dream come true.” He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to learn from established players like Root, stating, “I just try to be like a sponge and absorb everything.”
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Ben Stokes’ reaction
Stokes took to social media to praise Pretorius’ performance, underscoring the importance of franchise cricket in providing opportunities for young talent to shine on the big stages. He tweeted, “One of the many things franchise cricket has done is give young/inexperienced but incredibly talented players opportunities on the biggest stage against the best in the world and show how good they are. Lhuan-dre Pretorius is doing just that.”
One of the many things that franchise cricket has done is give opportunities to young/inexperienced but incredibly talented players on the biggest stage against the best in the world and show how good they are.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius is doing just that 👏— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 11, 2025
Pretorius is not new to competitive cricket; he previously excelled at the Under-19 World Cup and made waves in the domestic T20 leagues. His performance in this match not only marked his SA20 debut but also highlighted his potential as one of South Africa’s promising 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 momentum, he could soon be representing South Africa at senior level.
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