• ‘Baby AB’ has a BIG future

    Published on

    South Africa’s chances of winning the U19 World Cup may be over, but they have unearthed an absolute gem in Dewald Brevis.

    The all-rounder’s returns with the bat have been quite extraordinary at this tournament and he should have had another century against England, falling for 97 off 88 balls as he looked to boost his side’s total while wickets tumbled around him.

    Brevis is nicknamed ‘Baby ABD’, and it’s not hard to see why comparisons have been drawn with the South Africa icon. His array of shots and attacking potential is something special, but so is the 18-year-old’s control – throughout the tournament he has played at a pace that suits the team rather than himself.

    His four innings to date at the World Cup have yielded 65 against India, 104 against Uganda, 96 against Ireland and 97 against England. With two games to go, it’ll be fascinating to see how many more runs he can pile on in the Caribbean.

    The 18-year-old has also taken six wickets at this World Cup with his leg spin.

    On this evidence, it’s not a question of whether Brevis will play for the Proteas but when.

    Brevis at the U19 World Cup:

    Batting
    Runs: 362
    Average: 90.50
    Strike rate: 86.39
    Fifties: 3
    Hundreds: 1
    Highest score: 104
    Fours: 33
    Sixes: 11

    Bowling
    Overs: 20.5
    Maidens: 1
    Runs: 114
    Wickets: 6
    Best bowling: 2-18
    Average: 19.00
    Economy: 5.47
    Strike rate: 20.8

    Post by

    Simon Borchardt