Pretorius Century Sends South Africa Into Windhoek Tri-Series Final

Lhuan-dre Pretorius made 101 from 53 balls in Windhoek on Friday and South Africa are into the tri-series final. The Pretorius century was his first in T20 internationals. It also made him the youngest player from an ICC Full Member nation to score one. He was 20 years and 161 days old. South Africa posted 228 for 4. Namibia finished on 217 and lost by 11 runs.

The defeat ended Namibia's tournament. The hosts had beaten South Africa in the opening match of this same series six days earlier. They still go out at the group stage. Zimbabwe take the other place in Sunday's final.

The 156-run opening stand

Namibia won the toss and bowled. Pretorius and Connor Esterhuizen answered with 156 for the first wicket. Esterhuizen made 88 from 40 balls with eight sixes. Jan Balt removed him and finished with 2 for 31 from four overs, the best return of the innings for Namibia.

Pretorius came to the last over on 89. He hit Gerhard Erasmus for two sixes to reach three figures. Erasmus then bowled him, fourth ball. The innings carried eight sixes and five fours. The Namibian recorded South Africa's 228 for 4 as the fifth highest total the side has made in T20 internationals.

Little else was needed from the middle order. SuperSport reported that Rubin Hermann added 26 from 21 balls and that Dewald Brevis fell for 3, his first low score of the tournament. The same report put two of Namibia's teenagers under heavy fire, with Max Heingo conceding 36 in three overs and Jack Brassell 39 in two.

Inside the age record

Pretorius was 20 years and 161 days old on the day. The previous mark belonged to Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan. Zazai was 20 years and 337 days when he reached his hundred. The record covers batters from Full Member nations rather than the wider T20I field, where associate players sit outside the comparison.

SA Cricket Magazine lists Yashasvi Jaiswal next at 21 years and 279 days, then Ahmed Shehzad at 22 years and 127 days and Jacob Bethell at 22 years and 133 days. Pretorius has taken 176 days off the previous mark. It was not his first big score of the fortnight either. IOL reported that he had made 94 against Zimbabwe earlier in the series.

Namibia's reply falls 11 short

Namibia went at the target from the first over. Jan Frylinck made 72 from 36 balls. Louren Steenkamp made 61 from 44. The pair kept the required rate inside reach for most of the chase. IOL reported that Namibia still needed 24 from the final over. They closed on 217.

The chase turned on a boundary catch. IOL reported that Tony de Zorzi, on as a substitute fielder, took the catch that removed Frylinck. Namibia had no partnership of comparable weight after that. India TV News recorded Ruben Trumpelmann making 21 from 10 late in the innings.

Every match in the tri-series has been staged at the Namibia Cricket Ground. This was the sixth of seven. Namibia lost three of their four group matches. The one they won came first.

Standings and the final

The group table finished this way:

• South Africa: three wins from four matches, six points
• Zimbabwe: two wins from four matches, four points
• Namibia: one win from four matches, two points

South Africa and Zimbabwe meet in the final at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Sunday 6 September, starting at 1200 GMT. The two sides met twice in the group stage and South Africa won both. Zimbabwe qualified on the strength of their two wins over the hosts, the second of them on Thursday.

Cricket Namibia drew two Full Member sides to Windhoek for a fortnight of T20 internationals. The hosts scored at better than ten an over on Friday and still lost by 11. They leave the tournament with one win, over South Africa, on the opening night.