NZ vs SA: David Bedingham Explains Real Reason Why He Rejected Playing In SA20 2024 Contract

South African batter David Bedingham who scored a half-century on his maiden Test appearance against India during the 1st Boxing Day test at Centurion, claimed that his love for the longest format of the game is the real reason why he decided to pull his name out from participating in South Africa’s domestic league, the SA T20 which starts from January 10.

The 29-year-old Western Cape-born batter is among the senior players in South Africa’s squad for an upcoming 2-match Test series against New Zealand in February. He will have played just 2 tests before the tour to New Zealand but David Bedingham finds this prospect as a perfect opportunity to further solidify his spot in the Proteas test side.

He was once regarded as the next big thing in South African cricket’s rich batting history as an Under 19 player but he had to wait for a long time to get his chance of representing the nation of his birth. It came full circle for him as he scored 56 off 87 on his test debut in a match that his side won by an innings and 32 runs.

David Bedingham selected in the South Africa test squad vs New Zealand

Although he failed to convert his emphatic start to a Century those who watched him closely can claim that he has something special in him even if he entered the International scene a bit late. His technique and understanding of the game earned him a lot of praise from the commentators during the 1st Test with Sanjay Bangar stating that despite his stance and style looking lazy, David Bedingham has all the elements of a complete test batsman.

He proved Bangar’s assessment right not just in that particular innings but also when he had to choose between playing red-ball cricket in New Zealand or playing in the domestic T20 league. The saying goes like this, “Fortune favors the Brave” and David Bedingham is no less than a fighter as he chose to do the tough thing (playing in New Zealand) instead of just following the lead of his seniors who snubbed the series for a 2-month extravagant T20 league at home.

“I took my name out of the draft so that I could play in New Zealand. Shuks called and said there was a possibility. When I heard that no one from SA20 can play I thought my chances of playing are quite high. I didn’t have a second thought.” – Bedingham said.

With Great Experience Of Playing County Cricket, New Zealand Could Be A Perfect Venue For David Bedingham

It might be hard to believe but David Bedingham has 6047 runs in just 87 First class matches at an average of reaching almost 50 (49.56). He has played a lot of county cricket in England for Durham and it will help him in his quest to score runs in New Zealand. But Why and How?

Pitches in England and New Zealand especially when it comes to playing test matches, are similar to a lot of extent. In both countries, the ball experiences lateral movement and the weather as well as the wind dictates the behavior of the conditions. Also tracks in New Zealand produce some extra bounce just like pitches in South Africa and Australia do.

Therefore, David Bedingham might not find it very difficult to score runs in the land of long white clouds. The Test series against New Zealand will start from February 4th with the 2nd test scheduled to commence on 13 February.