A 20-year-old South African cricketer has broken one of the game’s most celebrated records after smashing 188 not out in a domestic match in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius surpassed Chris Gayle’s record score in T20 cricket when he hit an unbeaten 188 off 79 deliveries for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA Challenge.

The left-handed opener struck 13 sixes and 14 fours in his innings to eclipse Gayle’s 175, which the West Indian legend scored for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League in 2013.

Pretorius reached his half-century in just 24 balls, needed 16 more deliveries to get to 100, and took another 18 to hit 150.

Gayle’s record knock came off 66 balls and included 17 sixes and 13 fours.

The young Protea, who has represented South Africa in all three international formats, was making his first Titans appearance of the season. He scored 226 runs in a three-nation series in Namibia in September, tied for most with Dewald Brevis.

Pretorius dominated the strike on Friday, facing the equivalent of more than 13 overs to tie Australians Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis for the most balls faced in a T20 innings.

The next-highest scorer was Sinethemba Qeshile with just 14 as the Titans finished on 267-3.

The Titans then bowled out the Knights for 143 to win by 124 runs.

The total was the second-highest in the competition’s history, behind the Titans’ 271 also against the Kings in 2022. In that match, Brevis hit 162, which was the competition record until Friday. This time he made seven.

The Cricinfo website calculated that Pretorius has a strike-rate of 150.44 in 91 T20 games.

ALSO READ: Pretorius blasts 101 as South Africa survive Namibia scare in Windhoek