Lhuan-dre Pretorius breaks massive 61-year South African record with ton on debut in ZIM vs SA 2025 1st Test

South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest men's cricketer from his country to score a Test fifty during the opening match against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on Saturday, June 28. The southpaw, who is making his Test debut, got to the mark at the age of 19 years and 93 days, breaking Graeme Pollock's record who had reached the mark at the age of 19 years and 317 days in 1964.

Pretorius got to his half-century in the 30th over of the innings, with a single off Vincent Masekesa on Day 1 of the Test match at the Bulawayo Sports Club. He later also became the youngest South African to score a Test hundred.

South Africa's stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj won the toss and elected to bat first. However, that decision backfired as the Zimbabwean bowlers were spot on with their line and length, reducing South Africa to 90/4 at Lunch on the first day.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius scores a hundred on Test debut as South Africa recover after a jittery start

Lhuan-dre Pretorius rescued South Africa from a precarious position on the first day of the opening Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. He became the seventh South African batter to score a Test century on debut, helping his side recover from early trouble.

Pretorius put on 95 runs for the fifth wicket with his co-debutant Dewald Brevis to help South Africa recover from 55/4 on the opening day. The latter was dismissed for 51, but the former continued to put pressure on the home bowlers, getting to his hundred with a single off Wellington Masakadza in the 50th over of the innings.

Alongwith Pretorius and Brevis, medium-pacer Codi Yusuf was also handed a debut by the Proteas, who are playing their first Test match in Zimbabwe since 2014.

The two-Test series between the teams is not part of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle. At the time of writing, South Africa were 257/6 in the 61st over.