David Bedingham wants his own teammates to learn from Kane Williamson after New Zealand humiliate South Africa
Published - 07 Feb 2024, 05:35 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:26 AM
South African batter David Bedingham lauded Kane Williamson for his outstanding performance in the first Test between the two teams. David Bedingham acknowledged the potential for improvement in their game by adopting Kane Williamson’s approach.
Kane Williamson became the fifth New Zealand batsman to score centuries in both innings of the opening Test. Kane helped the team register a 281-run victory in Mount Maunganui. However, his performances were overshadowed by Rachin Ravindra’s 240-run knock.
Williamson achieved a century with 118 runs off 289 balls after getting a reprieve in the first innings. Rachin Ravindra made a significant impact with his maiden double-century in Test cricket. The duo helped the New Zealand team reach a formidable total of 511 runs.
New Zealand chose not to enforce the follow-on, allowing Williamson to secure his second century in the red-ball match. He scored 109 runs off 132 deliveries, featuring 12 boundaries and a six. Skipper Tim Southee declared the second innings with a lead of 528 runs.
We Can All Take A Lot Out Of Kane Williamson’s Innings – David Bedingham
During the post-match presentation, David Bedingham highlighted the importance of learning from Kane Williamson’s approach to enhance their performance. Bedingham suggested that adopting even a fraction of Kane’s technique could greatly benefit all players.
“From a batting point of view, we can all take a lot out of Kane’s innings. We don’t bat like him, but in terms of the application, even from Rav (Rachin Ravindra). If we can learn 10% from Kane, we’ll all be better players,” Bedingham said.
Quite Upset I Didn’t Score A Hundred – David Bedingham
During South Africa’s chase of 529 runs on the fourth day, Bedingham emerged as their sole bright spot in the second innings. The right-handed batter played a counter-attacking innings, scoring 87 runs off 96 deliveries with the help of 13 boundaries and three sixes.
David Bedingham expressed disappointment at missing out on a century but emphasized his commitment to countering the opposition’s bowling attack by sticking to his approach. He highlighted his preference for dictating the terms of his innings to maintain control.
“Quite upset I didn’t score a hundred. We practiced that kind of tactic (against the short balls) because the Kiwis do that quite a bit. I’m glad I stuck to it till the end. The first over Henry was bowling I was blocking, and I thought one might pop, and I might get caught so better to go after it. Also, I like to play on my terms,” he added.
South Africa opted for a second-string team against New Zealand due to their key players’ involvement in domestic T20 matches. The visiting team aims to reverse their fortunes in the upcoming second and final Test match at Seddon Park, starting on February 13.
New Zealand moved to first place in the ICC World Test Championship standings, securing a 66.67% points tally across three matches. On the other hand, South Africa’s ranking dropped from fourth to seventh position as their points percentage decreased to 33.33%.
