Teenage batting sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius joins Hampshire Hawks

Pretorius, who turns 19 next month, lit up the 2025 SA20 where he scored 397 runs – the most in the competition – as Paarl Royals reached the knockout stages.

His exploits captured the attention of England men’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, who shared his praise on social media.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius said: “It’s a real honour to play for Hampshire Hawks in this year’s Vitality Blast as my first experience of playing cricket in England.

“The team is full of exciting names whom I look forward to playing alongside and sharing a dressing room with as we look to lift the trophy.”

Before the SA20, Pretorius was South Africa’s leading run scorer at the 2024 men’s U19 World Cup with 287 runs in just six innings where he surpassed 50 three times.

On debut for Paarl Royals, he blasted his career-best score T20 of 97 against Sunrisers Eastern Cape who are coached by Hampshire head coach Adi Birrell, and feature Hawks all-rounder Liam Dawson.

Giles White, Director of Cricket, said: “Lhuan-dre impressed with his batting during the recent SA20 and played a number of eye-catching innings against some of the best bowlers in the world.

“He’s a special talent with a big future, and we are delighted that he is joining us for this year’s Vitality Blast.”

Hampshire Hawks get their men’s Vitality Blast campaign underway with a double-header at Utilita Bowl on Friday 30 May against Essex. Three further men’s and women’s double-headers take place on Tuesday 17 June, Sunday 6 July, and Sunday 13 July.

The best way to watch Hampshire Hawks in action is with a Vitality Blast Passport which are currently available at the Super Early Bird Plus rate of £99, which includes a free guest pass.

The discount ends at 10am on Wednesday 19 February at which point tickets for all competitions will be on general sale.

For groups of six or more, discounts are also available.

For full Vitality Blast ticket information, please visit www.utilitabowl.com/t20.