Big-hitting opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius says he wants to spend more time in the middle.

The 19-year-old left-hander has responded to recent Proteas omissions in the best possible way – by piling on the runs for the Northerns Titans in the domestic four-day series.

In just 15 first-class matches, Pretorius averages 56.28, with five centuries and six half-centuries. Since missing out on the T20 World Cup squad, he has struck a hundred and a fifty in three innings.

Yet he believes there is more to come.

“I personally feel I’ve sold myself short a bit,” Pretorius told SportsBoom.co.za. “I would like to spend more time in the middle and score those big hundreds.

“What I’ve found when getting decent scores is making sure the first 30 balls are solid and having a clear game plan. I am always looking to score straight or attack the short ball; those are my two shots. The rest just takes care of itself.”

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Despite making his name in the SA20 with the Paarl Royals, and earning white-ball and red-ball exposure with the Proteas, Pretorius has his sights firmly set on the longest format.

“I want to be in that [Proteas Test] side, 100%,” he said. “If I had to pick one format to play, I’d definitely pick Test cricket. I get asked that question a lot.

“It’s a bit of a cliché, but Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. I would love to play Test cricket for as long as I can.”

Missing out on the T20 World Cup squad was a blow, but Pretorius has kept perspective.

“I’m 19 years old. What I’ve done so far in my short career – if you told me at 10 years old that I’d play for the Proteas, I would’ve taken it with both hands.

“Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad] is an honest and straightforward person. We had our chats. I’ll always respect his decision because he’s coaching South Africa for a reason.

“I trust the plan he has for me. If that means I only play my next international game in five years, so be it. I just want to enjoy my cricket and make as many runs as possible.”

Photo: Zimbabwe Cricket