18-Year-Old Lhuan-dre Pretorius Outclasses Aiden Markram to Seal 9-Wicket Victory for Paarl Royals

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Paarl Royals cruised to a nine-wicket win over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Match 3 of SA20 2025, thanks to a sensational knock from Lhuan-dre Pretorius. The explosive batter smashed 97 off just 51 balls, overshadowing a valiant 82-run innings by Sunrisers’ skipper Aiden Markram. The Royals chased down the target of 176 with 8 balls to spare.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius Steals the Show

Chasing 176, Pretorius came out with an aggressive mindset and took the Sunrisers’ bowling attack apart. His innings included 10 boundaries and 6 towering sixes, ensuring the required run rate was never an issue.

Pretorius’ 132-run opening stand with Joe Root (62* off 44 balls) laid a solid foundation for the chase. He fell agonizingly short of a century, trapped lbw by Marco Jansen, but his explosive knock had already put the Royals in a commanding position.

Joe Root and skipper David Miller (17* off 17 balls) completed the chase comfortably, as the Royals reached 176/1 in 18.4 overs.

Earlier in the match, Aiden Markram anchored the Sunrisers’ innings with a superb 82 off 49 balls, laced with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Despite his efforts, the Sunrisers failed to accelerate in the death overs, managing 175/5 in their 20 overs.

Contributions from Tom Abell (20 off 12) and Tristan Stubbs (28* off 26) provided some support, but the total proved insufficient against Paarl Royals’ fiery batting display.

The Royals’ bowling unit, led by Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/27) and Kwena Maphaka (2/35), played a big role in restricting the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a chaseable total.

Read Original Content: 18-Year-Old Lhuan-dre Pretorius Outclasses Aiden Markram to Seal 9-Wicket Victory for Paarl Royals

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