Proteas batter Bedingham relishing first bite at West Indies

Proteas batter David Bedingham might only have four Tests under his belt but the righthander’s contribution against the West Indies will prove crucial in the Test series starting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Wednesday (4pm SA time). 

Describing himself as a “free-flowing” batter always looking to take the positive shot option, Bedingham has been in rich form in the County Championship for Durham, topping the runscorers’ charts for 2024 with 926 runs from eight matches. 

This includes five centuries and two half centuries at an average of 71.23 and a highest score of 144. 

“Going into this series, I am confident personally and as a group.

“I don’t think there will be any rust going into that first day given the way we have played in the four-day match,” Bedingham said.

The Western Province run machine, who made his presence felt with a strong 74 runs from 107 balls in the warm-up match between South Africa and a WI Championship XI, believes the match has given them a good idea of their strengths heading into the opening day of the first Test at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday.

After making his Test debut late in 2023  where he recorded a maiden half-century in the drawn home series against India, Bedingham has continued to grow under head coach Shukri Conrad. 

The Proteas have not pulled on their Test whites since a 2-0 series defeat in New Zealand in February and that side was devoid of regular Test players owing to the concurrent SA20.

Bedingham is one of only three squad survivors from that Kiwi tour which included a host of debutantes.

The other two are Dane Piedt and Dane Paterson. 

But the right-hander says the Proteas have prepared well and have a good idea of how they want to go about the two-Test series.

“Acclimatising to these conditions was important, coming from winter [in South Africa and] going into this heat was a change, so it was good to get out there. 

“We bowled for more than 100 overs, which was good for our bowlers and fielders, and our batters also put in a shift for more than 100 overs, so it was invaluable,” he said recently.

Bedders, as he is known, is a new face in the Test arena but has shown maturity beyond his years in his seven innings, as evidenced in his century in the second Test against the Black Caps. 

“I can’t say I have played against many of them [WI players] before, but on paper, they look a strong team.

“They are a different beast in their conditions but I am sure we will be able to rise to the challenge,” he said.

On Monday, Conrad was asked if he was hopeful Bedingham could carry his county form into this series and he replied: “I would rather have an in-form batter come here than a batter out of form [because] you search for a lot more when you are out of form. 

“David is a different type of character, he is a matter of fact sort of guy who gets on with things.

“He hasn’t played a county game in a while because he was nursing a slight niggle but now he is fresh and raring to go.”

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