Proteas batter David Bedingham said a strong season with Durham in England helped him stop overthinking his game. He spoke ahead of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park, which starts on Sunday.
The 32-year-old scored 1 029 red-ball runs for Durham in the 2026 County Championship. He said the stint gave him back his confidence after a hard spell in Test cricket.
“I think after my first five Tests I did pretty well, and then I put myself under loads of pressure,” Bedingham said, according to IOL Sport.
“So hopefully I can just be a free spirit and enjoy it rather than feeling like ‘I need a score, I need a score’, because whatever is meant to be will be,” he added.
His good form carried on in the South African domestic season. He hit two centuries for Western Province, scoring 129 and 114.
In the first Test against Australia in Durban, he moved up to bat at number three. He made 49 in the first innings and 46 in the second.
Bedingham has now played 15 Tests. He said his career so far has had two very different parts.
“In my first five Tests, I felt free and wasn’t thinking about my technique much at all. You could just see ball, hit ball,” he said.
“Then over the last 10 Tests or so, I was thinking about my technique, thinking about what people were saying, and I probably struggled big time,” he said.
He said he came back from Durham more confident than a year ago. He also said cricket should be kept in perspective.
“I know it’s our job, but there are a lot bigger issues in South Africa and the world, so hopefully I can just enjoy it,” Bedingham said.
Australia’s bowling attack includes Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. Bedingham was asked if his friends at home gave him any advice on facing them.
He said they did not offer much. “Most of them are club players, so they all just said, ‘reverse sweep, smack him across the line’ … that type of stuff,” he said.
“For all of our batters, it will always be tough against them but it’s just about how we can do it for longer,” he added.
South Africa lost the first Test in Durban by 214 runs. Bedingham said there was no panic in the dressing room after the defeat.
“There was no shouting or that type of stuff. It was more just, ‘Let’s bounce back’,” he said.
“It’s a huge challenge, but if we bounce back, perfect. The main thing is just showing a good attitude,” Bedingham said.
The second Test between South Africa and Australia starts on Sunday at St George’s Park.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.