'We feed off each other very nicely' - Connor Esterhuizen shares experience of opening with Lhuan-dre Pretorius ahead of tri-series final

Connor Esterhuizen and Lhuan-dre Pretorius produced a dominant opening stand that powered South Africa to victory in their Namibia tri-series match on September 4, 2026. The pair combined for 156 runs at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, setting the platform for the Proteas to post 228 for 4. Namibia's reply fell short by 11 runs, finishing at 217 for 3.

Esterhuizen struck 88 off just 40 balls, hitting six fours and eight sixes to record his highest T20 International score for South Africa. Pretorius reached his maiden T20I century as the opening partnership dominated the powerplay, racing to 70 without loss. At the halfway stage, South Africa stood at 127 for 0, with Esterhuizen on 73 and Pretorius on 47. Esterhuizen explained the chemistry that made the opening stand so effective.

"When batting out there with Lhuan-dre, he's super laser-focused and always looking to get at the opposition," Esterhuizen said after the match (as quoted by IOL).

"I sometimes can be a bit of a nervous wreck out there, so I'm just looking for jokes or some banter and some laughs with one of my friends that I'm batting with. So we feed off each other very nicely," he added.

How Esterhuizen and Pretorius complemented each other

While Esterhuizen admitted that he is more comfortable while opening the batting, he has demonstrated flexibility across the batting order throughout his T20 career.

"I don't know if I feel a bit more comfortable opening. I've done it quite a bit. I think I've batted almost everywhere from one to seven in my T20 career. But I pride myself in being versatile, so wherever the coach asks me to bat or wherever the team needs me to bat, I'm happy to put up my hand and try my best," Esterhuizen stated.

Also Read - Namibia T20I Tri-Series 2026: Final, South Africa vs Zimbabwe Match Prediction - Who will win today's match between SA and ZIM?

South Africa are set to face Zimbabwe in the finals of the tri-series on Sunday, September 6. The Proteas have beaten the Chevrons on two occasions so far in the campaign. Sikandar Raza and Co. will have to bring their A-game on Sunday to clinch the title.