Is Kwena Maphaka South Africa’s youngest Test cricket debutant?

Jonhenry Wilson 01 Jan 2025

Paul Adams was South Africa's youngest Test debutant until Kwena Maphaka.

Kwena Maphaka become South Africa’s youngest ever Test debutant in early January 2025.

The talented fast bowler played a few ODIs and T20Is before graduating to Test level.

It is not often cricketers play a Test before their 20th birthday.

Here, we recall South Africa’s youngest debutants in Test cricket.

William Shalders – 19 years, 48 days

William Shalders played a dozen Tests for South Africa. The first was against England in Cape Town in March 1899. He opened the batting and scored nine and eight, falling to Schofield Haigh on both occasions.

Despite this unimpressive debut, Shalders was afforded 21 more innings in Test cricket, but never collected a highest score more than 42.

Dante Parkin – 19 years, 28 days

Dante Parkin’s one and only Test was against England in Cape Town in March 1892. Parkin accounted for three top-order wickets, but it was not enough to prevent the hosts losing by an innings and 189 runs.

Parkin toured England with South Africa two years later, but didn’t play a Test.

Also read: The 25 bowlers who took a wicket with their first ball in Test cricket

Arthur Ochse – 19 years, 1 day

Arthur Ochse played just three Tests for South Africa. His first came against England in Durban in January 1928. Ochse opened the bowling in the first innings and didn’t bowl in the second.

When he batted down the order, he was out for four once and then hit for not out. Other than the young age at which he did it, his Test debut was rather unremarkable.

Paul Adams – 18 years, 340 days

Paul Adams had one of the weirdest bowling actions in Test cricket. He had done plenty at provincial level for Western Province to warrant his call up to South Africa’s Test XI against England in Port Elizabeth in December 1995.

His action likened to a “frog in a blender” by some, Adams took four wickets on Test debut. His most prized scalps were those of Michael Atherton and Graham Thorpe.

Kwena Maphaka – 18 years, 270 days

South Africa enjoyed an early lead in their tw0-match series against Pakistan and had secured a berth in the International Cricket Council’s World Test Championship.

So there was room to experiment with their XI. They dropped Dane Paterson and brought in Kwena Maphaka for the second Test at Newlands in Cape Town in January 2025. Maphaka had already played a few T20Is and ODIs for the Proteas.