Proteas hold off Namibia after Pretorius masterclass

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 228-4 but Namibia gave them a scare before losing by just 11-runs in the final group match of the T20 International Triangular series at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek on Friday.

Opener Jan Frylinck hammered 72 from just 36 balls (6x4, 5x6) with Louren Steenkamp adding 61 from 44 balls before the hosts ran out of steam to finish on 217-3. South Africa will now play Zimbabwe, whom they defeated comfortably in two group matches, in Sunday’s final.

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.

🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨

A closely contested game comes to an end in Windhoek as #TheProteas claim an 11 run victory! 👏🇿🇦

The win seals our place in the T20I Tri Series final, where we’ll face Zimbabwe on Sunday. 🏆#Unbreakable pic.twitter.com/S3eXdW990I — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 4, 2026

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.

A Magnificent Century! 💯

What a knock! Lhuan-dré Pretorius brings up his maiden T20I century as #TheProteas continue to pile on the runs! 🇿🇦🏏

After falling just six runs short earlier this week, there was no denying him this time around! 👏

A milestone moment for our rising… pic.twitter.com/fMydjQAqeT — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 4, 2026

Dewald Brevis (3) suffered his first failure of the tournament when miscuing 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.

But the hosts were on course for another upset having beaten South Africa by 18-runs in the opening game before a brilliant piece of fielding and some poor luck derailed them. Frylinck’s hook shot against Andile Simelane (2-0-28-1) looked destined for six before substitute Tony de Zorzi claimed a ‘step out, step in’ catch on the square leg boundary while Steenkamp was forced to retire hurt after being hit in the ribs by an Eathan Bosch bouncer.

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