Johannesburg — Expectations of Dewald Brevis, already high, went into the stratosphere on Monday, as the 19-year-old superstar smashed 162 off 57 balls, breaking a series of records in an astounding performance in the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge in Potchefstroom.
Brevis hit 13 fours and 13 sixes, putting himself on global lists for the fastest hundred, the highest score by a South African, the fastest to 150 (worldwide) and the third highest score all time in the format. In addition, his team, the Titans’ final total of 271/3 is the fourth highest in T20s.
There was some magical shotmaking, particularly many of the sixes that went down the ground, with Brevis finishing shots with his head down, and golfer’s follow through.
A behind the shoulder flick off a 146km/h bouncer from Gerald Coetzee, had both batter and bowler laughing, such was the inventiveness and audacity of the shotmaking.
We’ve seen special T20 knocks, very few better than this one from Dewald Brevis - 100* off 35 balls 🤯
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 31, 2022
𝐔![CDATA[]]>𝐍![CDATA[]]>𝐑![CDATA[]]>𝐄![CDATA[]]>𝐀![CDATA[]]>𝐋 𝐛![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐥![CDATA[]]>𝐥 𝐬![CDATA[]]>𝐭![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐤![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐠! 🏏#CSAT20Challenge pic.twitter.com/F5Y5fc27D9
“It was lovely,” Brevis told SuperSport in an interview between innings. “You don’t want to be reckless, just be positive and stay in the moment.”
Shots flew further and further off his bat, with balls being deposited onto the football field next to the JB Marks Oval and a couple that went into the driveway of the house next door to the ground.
Brevis cut a calm figure throughout, smiling along with fellow opener Jiveshan Pillay, who made 52 off 46 balls. Brevis said he had a premonition about his innings.
“It’s funny, it started at breakfast. Jivvy (Pillay) was still eating, I had finished and stood up after eating and as I passed him I said ‘we are going to take them down today.’ And when I came to the ground, I just tried to be as calm as possible, stay in the moment and think as little as possible about the outcome,” Brevis said.
RECORD BREAKER 🚨
— DomesticCSA (@DomesticCSA) October 31, 2022
Highest domestic T20 score ✔️
Fastest domestic century ✔️
3rd highest score of all time ✔️@BrevisDewald | 1⃣6⃣2⃣ runs | 5⃣7⃣ balls
1⃣3⃣ fours
1⃣3⃣ sixes#CSAT20Challenge #BePartOfIt #SummerOfCricket pic.twitter.com/BonGpZ5L87
The outcome as it turned out put Brevis at the near top of the T20 charts; his 162 is tied for the third highest individual score in the format, he reached 150 off 52 balls the fewest deliveries ever face for that landmark, breaking a record previously held by Chris Gayle, while he also surpassed Quinton de Kock and Pieter Malan for the highest score by a SA batter in the format.
“It came naturally,” Brevis said of his style. “As a young boy, I wanted to hit the ball and strike it as far as possible.”
That he did on numerous occasions on Monday.
“I played how I wanted to play and I’m grateful for it,” Brevis said of his innings. As was everyone else who was watching, including Brevis’ boyhood idol, AB de Villiers. “Dewald Brevis. No need to say more,” De Villiers tweeted on Monday. Indeed.
IOL Sport