There were only a handful of students dotting the grass embankment at JB Marks Oval, the sound with the bat and the style with which they played was heard and captured, so broadcast around the world.
By noon, Brevis, still only 19, was trending globally. “(Monday) was amazing,” Brevis said. It really was. His shotmaking was mesmerising, with straight hits, lofted cover drives, slog sweeps and 146 km/h from Gerald Coetzee.
There has already been a huge amount of hype around Brevis after his performance at the U-19 World Cup earlier this year. Those performances led to a Rs 60 lakh contract in the IPL – he also played in the Caribbean and Sri Lankan T20 leagues and will play in the new SA20 tournament in January.
On Monday, he put his name among the greats acting in the shorter format with his stunning performances – Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and the late Andrew Symonds.
“It’s a very special day. Things haven’t really sunk in yet,” Brevis said. I am grateful for the talent God gave me and the opportunity to showcase it. It’s really special, to be able to live your life to the fullest while playing cricket.
He said on Monday he watches countless videos of former greats – including of course his childhood idol AB de Villiers – and not only to quench his thirst for the game, but also to learn.
“From youngsters, I really like watching videos of players watching how they bat, and what the swing of their bats looks like. “It’s like you see it a lot and you see how the bat goes and it stays behind your head, but you stay true to yourself and you play your game.
That’s how I started bowling leg-spin, I saw Shane Warne bowl. It’s something that comes naturally, and it’s about loving the game, I really love the game. I love watching videos of players.
“In every single match, you say to yourself, ‘If the conditions are tough, the tougher the conditions, the better I will play,'” said Dewald Brevis. Wherever you are positive, you always err on the positive side, if there are difficult conditions and the bowlers are bowling well then be positive, you always want to be positive, taking the first three balls – don’t wait for the last three balls, otherwise the bowler is on top.
Dewald Brevis is the mindset of a player who has full faith in himself, but he is far from arrogant. While there is a lot of talk that he should have been called into the Proteas squad – even for the ongoing T20 World Cup – Brevis feels he is right where he is.
“It’s a step and I believe people in control know (what is) best. It’s just that I think everything works as it should,” Brevis said.
“Where I am in my life, this is where I have to be, I have to do it, it’s part of my journey. I believe everything works as it should be and I am in the right place where I should be. We never know what will happen, so I should stay in the moment and make use of the opportunities.