Lhuan-dre Pretorius beats Sachin Tendulkar among the 7 youngest cricketers to hit a Test 150
Centuries are not easy to reach. Big hundreds are even more difficult to attain.
It takes great technique and temperament for batters to reach the 150-run mark in an innings.
Most Test cricket batters wait until they are mature in both their age and game before they get there.
It is so tough that only seven batters have reached the milestone before they turned 20.
Below, we have listed all seven, from oldest to youngest. One particular star, who has featured in the Betway SA20 as well, is at the top of the list.
7. Doug Walters – 155 against England at 19 years and 354 days
Walters faced Wes Hall when he was 17, and he did not let the experienced pacer dictate terms to him as he registered an outstanding half-century. The heroics caught everyone’s attention, and it wasn’t long before he was added to the Test team, eventually making his debut on December 10 1965.
Australia needed a spark in their innings when Walters walked in to bat. They were on 125/4 and needed someone to construct a partnership with Bill Lawry if they were going to mount a decent partnership.
That someone was Walters, who added 187 runs with Lawry for the fifth wicket. Walters’ innings was measured; however, he also showed that he could go on the offensive when he smashed four fours and a six off one of Bob Barber’s overs.
Walters finished the match with a classy 155 from 315 balls. His innings featured 11 fours and two sixes.
6. Graeme Pollock – 175 against Australia at 19 years and 331 days
Pollock didn’t do much with the bat on debut, only managing 25 runs in a contest that meandered to a draw. The left-hander had no answers to the questions asked of him by Brian McKenzie and Alan Connolly, who dismissed him for 18 runs across two innings in his second Test.
Pollock showed his class with a well-played 122 in the third Test, but that wasn’t his best innings of the series. Pollock unleashed hell on Australia in the fourth Test with a masterful 175.
He launched three sixes and carved 18 fours as he raced beyond the 150-run mark. Pollock shared a sensational 341-run third-wicket with Eddie Barlow. Their partnership set the bar for the highest stand for South Africa in Test cricket.
5. Sachin Tendulkar – 165 against England at 19 years and 293 days
Tendulkar could have reached 150 runs when he was 18 when they went up against Australia in 1992; however, he was denied the honour when Javagal Srinath was run out and Tendulkar was left marooned, unbeaten on 148.
Another opportunity presented itself 13 months later, and this time, Tendulkar did not miss out.
India was on 149/2 when Tendulkar arrived at the crease. He formed a brilliant 147-run third-wicket partnership with Navjot Sidhu that pinned England on the back foot. Tendulkar smashed 24 fours and a single six in his 361-minute innings. He faced 296 deliveries for his fluent innings.
4. Archie Jackson – 164 against England at 19 years and 149 days
Jackson could have been one of the great players who have played Test cricket. According to recorded information, Jackson could have rivalled Donald Bradman, had it not been for his poor health and ultimately his demise at only 23.
The right-hander was so brilliant that he debuted for New South Wales at 17. Australia added him to their team within a year.
Jackson made his debut against England in 1929, and he justified the hype around his name. He opened the batting and was the key for Australia if they wanted to reach a meaningful total. When he was dismissed, Australia was on 287/6 and he had scored 164 of the runs.
Jackson faced 331 deliveries for his 164 runs. His innings featured 15 fours and lasted for 318 minutes.
3. Neil Harvey – 153 runs against India at 19 years and 121 days
Australia scored 674 runs in the match in which Neil Harvey made his debut. However, the left-hander spent only 15 minutes in the middle. He watched most of Australia’s innings on the sidelines.
It wasn’t a great moment for the player widely regarded as one of Australia’s favourite cricketing sons.
He was highly regarded due to his solid technique and fluent stroke play, and he lived up to his reputation as a prodigious talent with a masterful 153 in the second match.
Australia was on 182/2 when he walked out to bat. He formed a brief 42-run partnership with Keith Miller, which was succeeded by a 37-run stand with Bill Brown. Harvey put Australia in control with a 219-run fourth-wicket partnership with Sam Loxton.
Harvey finished the innings with 153 from 251 balls.
2. Javed Miandad – 163 against New Zealand at 19 years and 119 days
Miandad meant business. He smashed two scores north of 150 in his first three Test matches, and they were 21 days apart. The most famous one of these efforts was his 206 against New Zealand on 30 October 1976.
Miandad’s ton was one of three centuries registered by Pakistan’s batters, alongside Majid Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad.
While it was bigger, it wasn’t the most impressive. Pakistan was on 44/3 when Miandad walked in to bat on debut. He hadn’t settled in when Pakistan lost another wicket to fall to 55/4.
Miandad showed a level of maturity that belied his age as he stitched a 281-run fifth-wicket partnership with Asif Iqbal to wrestle control back from New Zealand.
Miandad’s 163-run innings featured 19 fours, and it set Pakistan up for victory in the match.
1. Lhuan-dre Pretorius – 153 against Zimbabwe at 19 years and 19 days
South Africa was in trouble when Pretorius walked in to bat. Tanaka Chivanga tore through South Africa’s top order, reducing them to 23/3 in 14.2 overs. The left-hander was still settling in when South Africa lost their fourth wicket with 55 runs on the board.
Pretorius steadied the ship with an outstanding counter-punching 95-run fifth-wicket partnership with Dewald Brevis.
The youngsters fought fire with fire and scored at the rate of knots. South Africa was on 289/7 when Pretorius was dismissed, and his team was on solid footing by then.
Pretorius scored 153 runs from 160 balls in a knock that featured 11 fours and four sixes.
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