How net sessions with a gardener helped lay the foundation for Titans star Lhuan-dre Pretorius

A talent of the calibre of Lhuan-dre Pretorius normally comes from a long line of exceptionally talented cricketers.

However, in Pretorius’ case, he is the first from his family, as his father never really played cricket that seriously and was more of a rugby enthusiast.

In fact, Pretorius’ cricketing foundation was more impacted by his gardener playing in his cricket net in his backyard.

“Funny enough, I don’t even think (the talent) is from my dad. He loves the game a lot; sometimes, he thinks he’s my coach. He played rugby for a bit, but he definitely did not play cricket. Maybe he actually did in school, but not like professionally or anything,” Pretorius told Independent Media this week.

“I just think I’m very blessed. I have a talent from above, and I’m very blessed and grateful for that.

“But then also, my dad provided for me. I’m in a very fortunate position where the parents I have, my dad, could provide me with whatever I needed.  

“So, I had a net in my backyard from a very young age. My gardener could play; he actually loved cricket, and could also play cricket. 

“So, when I get home from school, I wouldn’t touch my books.

“I would just go straight to the net, play a bit of cricket with my gardener and my younger brother. I was just so blessed in that sense.”

Having matriculated last year, Pretorius’ life has changed drastically, with him now being a fully fledged professional cricketer and competing across the three Division One CSA competitions for the Centurion-based Titans.

“Things changed drastically and very quickly. It happened this early on, so I can learn from a very young age how to live the life and how to do everything,” said Pretorius.

“Comparing life now to school is way different. You have more time and also not more time.

“What I did in school was try to hit as many balls as I could, and work hard on certain things on the field. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do now; the times are just different.

“You don’t have to do it after school, before school. You can do it, let’s say, from nine to 12 or whatever.

“And then that also helps with recovery. You can sleep earlier.

“There’s no other stuff, external stuff, to worry about like schoolwork and stuff.

“So, you can just focus on cricket, and that made a huge difference. And that’s what I’ve realised.”

Since matric, the 19-year-old has scored four centuries in Division One, two in first-class cricket and two in List A cricket.

His numbers paint a vivid picture of just how quickly he has adapted to professional cricket, a feat that the youngster says wouldn’t have happened without the people he has in his life, such as Titans coach Richard das Neves and teammate Dewald Brevis.

“I just think I was speaking to the right people at the right time, doing the off-field stuff the right way, sticking to my process, and that’s been working for me,” said Pretorius, reflecting on the impressive start to his career.  

“I just think if you take care of the stuff off the field, then the things on the field will take care of itself. I have a thing that I actually learned from Richard, our Titans coach.

“He says, if you look after the pennies, the pounds will come, and that just infiltrates into your cricket. If you look after the small things, the big things will come.”

While Pretorius has been impressive for the Titans, it was at Paarl Royals in the SA20 where he really got the attention of the country and the rest of the world at large earlier this year.

In his debut match, opening the batting alongside former England captain Joe Root, the youngster blasted a 51-ball 97 against a line-up that featured Proteas quick Marco Jansen.

Looking back, Pretorius told Independent Media that the SA20 boosted his confidence as much as it exposed him to the highest level of the game.

“Regarding confidence and other stuff I gained from the SA20, I can’t really explain it because doing it against those kinds of players, being able to do it against the best in the world, it was a massive boost to my game,” he said.

“It helped me a lot mentally, and a lot of people played a big role in it, like Root and David Miller.

“You can speak to those people before the games, while you’re batting, about what they were doing in certain situations and that kind of stuff.

“That helped me a lot with nerves, but obviously, nerves were still there, and it will always be there, and you have to make peace with that and try to make pressure your best mate.”

The innings that many will talk about for years to come is the first powerplay during the first playoff at St George’s Park, where Pretorius faced off against former New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult.

The youngster smacked boult for three consecutive boundaries in the first over, setting the Paarl Royals to a flying start.

Reflecting on that knock, Pretorius said that he never looked at the battle as if it was him against Boult, but rather a battle between bat and ball, a mental approach he received from Root himself.

“I think Joe (Root) told me at the end of the day that it’s bat versus ball. It’s not Lhuan-dre versus Bolt or whatever,” he said.  

“So, you just focus on the ball and not focus on who’s bowling the ball. The ball is coming to you, you have the bat, and you have to hit it. That’s just to simplify it.”