DAY 1: Pretorius cracks undefeated century on debut for Proteas

Nineteen-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck an undefeated century on test debut – only the sixth South African to have done so and the youngest to date – to enable the Proteas to recover to 248 for six on the opening day of the first test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.

South Africa, who had batted first after caretaker captain Keshav Maharaj had won the toss, had struggled to 90 for four at lunch in a session clearly won by the home team. But that narrative was flipped on its head in the afternoon after Pretorius and fellow debutant Dewald Brevis opened their shoulders to add 95 in 88 balls for the fifth wicket.

Part of the reason for this was that both batters plundered legspinner Vincent Masekesa for 65 in seven overs, with Brevis particularly aggressive, smacking him for three sixes in one over. Masekesa didn’t exactly help his own cause, sprinkling his spell with a number of full-tosses and long-hops, enabling the South African batters to help themselves with little risk.

Nevertheless, the powerful Pretorius, who came to the crease on 23 for three, must be commended for his clinical performance, driving, cutting and pulling boundaries all around the field. Brevis was similarly aggressive albeit a little more vulnerable to rushes of blood to the head, and it was one of these that led to his downfall as he cue-ended a pull to Tinaka Chivanga at mid-off off the bowling of Blessing Mazarabani just after he had reached his 50. He struck three fours and four sixes in his 41-ball innings.

Kyle Verreynne helped Pretorius add 31 for the sixth wicket before he was well caught at slip by Zimbabwe’s captain, Craig Ervine, off the bowling of Wellington Masakadza who did a reasonable holding job with his left-arm spin, claiming 1/73 in 20 overs. Nevertheless, Zimbabwe lacked a third seamer to support Muzarabani and Chivanga who represented the biggest challenge to the South African batters. Chivanga, who left the field briefly with what looked like a leg strain, has 3/39 in 10 overs while Muzarabani has so far taken 1/21 in 13 overs.

Corbin Bosch helped Pretorius maintain South Africa’s afternoon momentum, finishing the session unbeaten on 22 in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 67. An indication of the Proteas’ improvement is that they scored 158 runs in 31 overs in the afternoon session at a rate of 5.1 runs to the over for the loss of only two wickets.

ZIMBABWE: Brian Bennett, Takudzawanashe Kaitano, Nick Welch, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (capt), Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Vincent Masekesa, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani

SOUTH AFRICA: Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka