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The South African
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Teenage SA cricket prodigy Lhuan-dre Pretorius gets late IPL call-up
Rising South African cricket prodigy Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been called up to the Indian Premier League (IPL), joining the Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for the injured Nitish Rana who has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a calf injury. The 19-year-old sensation has been one of the standout performers in the 2024/25 season. Pretorius made waves during his debut campaign in the SA20, where he topped the run-scoring charts with 397 runs at a blistering strike rate of 166.81, including a headline-making 97 off 51 balls on debut for the Paarl Royals. Lhuan-dre Pretorius also shone on the international stage, emerging as South Africa U19's leading run-scorer at the 2024 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup with 287 runs at an average of 57.40 and a strike rate nearing 95. Domestically, he plays for the Titans and has recently signed with Hampshire to feature in England's T20 Blast. Meanwhile, in a further boost to South African cricket, Western Province's Nandre Burger has also been drafted by the Rajasthan Royals as injury cover for Sandeep Sharma. Burger's inclusion underscores the growing influence of South Africa's next generation on global T20 leagues. The Rajasthan Royals are out of the running for IPL victory this season as they lie ninth in the 10-team table with just six points thanks to three wins and nine defeats to date. They have two matches remaining this IPL season. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Meet Riley Norton: Junior Boks captain and fast bowler for SA U19 cricket team
The former SA U19 cricket player said he realised in matric that he 'loved rugby just a bit more'. If you thought you'd heard the name Riley Norton before this year's U20 Rugby Championship taking place in Gqeberha, you'd be right. You see, the Junior Springboks' lock and captain isn't only a hot shot rugby player; he's also an excellent cricketer, who last year featured for the South African U19 team at the junior cricket World Cup. The tall lock forward is an aggressive fast bowler who can also hit a long ball down the order. Norton was head boy at Paul Roos Gymnasium and also represented Western Province in rugby and cricket. He is currently studying for a BCom Investment Management degree at the University of Stellenbosch. SA Schools rugby and cricket According to Norton is only the third sportsman in the past decade to do the double of SA Schools rugby and cricket. He follows in the footsteps of people like Herschelle Gibbs, Conrad Jantjes, Ruan de Swardt, and Christopher Schreuder. Gibbs went on to play for the Proteas and Jantjes for the Springboks, while all-rounder De Swardt has played for the Proteas. In total, 15 school athletes have accomplished the remarkable feat – 11 of them before 2000. Riley Norton in action during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa last year. Picture: Michael Steele-ICC/ICC via Getty Images Last year, while doing his matric, Norton had to make the tough choice – pick between playing rugby or cricket at a higher level. He chose rugby. 'It was tough because cricket has done a lot for me and taught me a great deal,' he told Maties Sport earlier this year. 'My dad (Chris, who also played for Maties for 12 years) told me to do what I loved and during matric I realised that I loved rugby just a bit more … the unbeatable camaraderie, the inspiration of the Springboks – and Maties Rugby!' He continued: 'For me it equips you with skills and habits to succeed off the field: commitment to a goal, work ethic, courage. And it also teaches you how to live outside of your own bubble. There is so much diversity in rugby that comes together for a common goal. Nothing unites more than sport, particularly rugby.' 'Pieter-Steph du Toit is very inspirational' It is no surprise that Norton's all-time rugby hero is two-time World Cup winner and one of the very greats of Springbok rugby, Pieter-Steph du Toit. 'World Player of the Year twice, who consistently gave 110 percent. His father donated a tendon to enable him to carry on. Very inspirational,' said the 1.97m, 101kg lock. While young Kwena Maphaka hogged the headlines at last year's U19 Cricket World Cup, with 21 wickets in six matches, Norton finished the tournament with the second most number of wickets for his team. He picked up 11 wickets in five matches to be 11th overall on the wicket-takers' list. Cricket's loss is certainly rugby's gain. Norton is expected to again lead the Junior Springboks when they play their third and final match of the U20 Rugby Championship against New Zealand in Gqeberha on Sunday. So far the 'Baby Boks' have beaten Argentina and lost to Australia. Their match on Sunday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is at 4.10pm.
