Pretorius ton sparks Proteas batting blitz

Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored his maiden T20 International century and fellow opener Connor Esterhuizen smashed 88 from just 40 balls to help South Africa pile up an imposing total of 228-4 in the final group match of the T20 International Triangular series against Namibia at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek on Friday.

Left hander Pretorius, who made a career-best 94 in the previous match against Zimbabwe, began the final over on 89 and launched the first and third balls from offspinner Gerhard Erasmus for straight sixes to reach his hundred before the Namibian captain bowled him with the fourth delivery.

Pretorius was the junior partner in an opening stand of 156 with Esterhuizen who scored just a single from his first five deliveries before cutting loose with a blaze of sixes to every part of the ground, notably over cover point and wide long off as well as the more popular legside.

Both openers helped themselves to eight sixes with 11 fours between them but Esterhuizen looked likely to reach his century first before missing a slog-sweep against offspinner Jan Balt (2-31) to be bowled for 88 in only the 12th over of the innings.

Dewald Brevis (3) suffered his first failure of the tournament when miscued Balt to long off and Rubin Hermann (26 from 21 balls) couldn’t find the acceleration he wanted before an attempted ramp against seamer Ruben Trumpelmann (1-38) was brilliantly caught one-handed by ‘keeper Zane Green.

But Pretorius was undeterred and kept his nerve in the closing stages with his 101 requiring just 53 balls with five fours to garnish his eight sixes.

It was a galling day for the hosts seamers with 18-year-old Max Heingo conceding 36 runs from three overs, considerably more economical than his 18-year-old teammate, Jack Brassell, whose two overs cost a bruising 39 runs.

South Africa lost their opening game against the host nation six days ago but have since qualified for Sunday’s final with two victories against Zimbabwe who will still qualify for the final should South Africa win today.

NAMIBIA: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Gerhard Erasmus (captain, Zane Green (wkt), Alexander Volschenk, Malan Kruger, JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, JC Balt, Jack Bressell, Max Heingo

SOUTH AFRICA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Connor Esterhuizen (wkt), Jordan Hermann, Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann, Eathan Bosch, Andile Simelane, Bjorn Fortuin (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Kwena Maphaka, Nqaba Peter