“I’m still South African, so I’d like to play for SA" | David Bedingham Exclusive Interview

David Bedingham, who has hit a magnificent purple patch for Durham in the County Championship this month, still holds the ambition of representing the Proteas in the future.

Bedingham plays for Durham in the County Championship, and in his first three games for the County, he set a career-best score of 180 not out in his first match and broke that milestone by scoring a massive 257 in his third match.

He racked up 565 runs at an average of 141.25 in the month of April, as he holds the prospect of becoming the first batsman to reach 1,000 runs before the end of May since Graeme Hick, in 1988.

Despite getting this rich taste of cricket in England, Bedingham remains patriotic to his ambitions of representing South Africa.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Fanatics Magazine, when asked whether he wants to play for South Africa or England, the 27-year-old responded: “I’m still South African so I’d like to play for South Africa.”

He added that neither the South African domestic league nor the English county league is “better” than each other, but rather that they are simply “different”.

“They just have different conditions and different balls. I feel like when England comes over to play SA they pick different bowlers to what they would pick if they played at home,” he said.

“It’s tough to compare, but they both have high standards. They’re just different. I enjoy playing in SA and on those harder wickets a bit more. But in saying that the last three wickets I’ve played on – especially against Notts [in the County Championship] – have been quick and bouncy.

“It just depends on which venues in the country you play. But you just have to score the runs, whether you’re in England or SA – so it doesn’t matter [too much].”

Upon returning to his homeland Bedingham has signed with Western Province for next season in light of Cricket South Africa’s recent domestic restructuring.