FILE - Lhuan-dre Pretorius of Paarl Royals hits out during his innings of 83 off just 52 balls against MI Cape Town on Wednesday night
Image: Sportzpics
The experts say the measure of a good young batsman is how they perform under pressure, especially batting in the second innings chasing a target.
If that is the sole criterion, then 18-year-old starlet Lhuan-dre Pretorius is already looking like a future limited overs star for the Proteas following quite an explosive start while opening the batting for the Paarl Royals in the SA20.
The former SA U19 batter, who got his matric results on Monday, has made scores of 92 off 51 balls and 83 off 52 balls in successful run chases against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town respectively. Both knocks highlighted his immense talent, but also a fearless mentality to take down some of the world's best bowlers.
Pretorius tops the run-scoring charts so far this season, belting 206 runs in just three innings at an average of 68.66 and a strike rate of 179.13.
Some would say it's pretty easy just to go out there with gay abandon and knock the cover off the ball. The exuberance of youth on display. But it's how he has gone about his knocks that has been impressive, mixing his brute strength with a bit of game awareness that had Royals mentor Kumar Sangakkara and England Test captain Ben Stokes showering praise on the youngster.
Opening the batting and sharing a dressing room alongside England great Joe Root must also be helping him cope with the scrutiny and the spotlight of the tournament. But Pretorius seems to have a very good head on his shoulders.
Paarl Royals captain David Miller" certainly confirmed as much after Wednesday's win over MI Cape Town in Paarl.
"As everyone knows, he is a phenomenal talent," said Miller. "It's really special to have him in the team. There have been a lot of young players that have come through over the years, and I just think he is something very special.
"I haven't seen a lot of young players play the way he does. It's the free flow and the bat flow. He plays the ball really late, plays the short ball really well, and he is a really good thinker about the game.
"It's great to have him putting in match-winning performances for us and we're very lucky to have him."
Pretorius is undoubtedly on track to become one of the most exciting prospects in South African cricket. His journey from a promising talent to a match-winner is one that fans will be keenly following as the SA20 unfolds.
@JohnGoliath82