Having only played a couple of Test matches till now, South Africa batter David Bedingham is already related to several legendary players from an anecdotal point of view. Once termed as a cricket prodigy at school, Bedingham’s journey hasn’t been a five-finger exercise.
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During his childhood, Bedingham went to the same school as former South African greats namely Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs, i.e., Wynberg Boys High School, Cape Town. As a matter of fact, South African professional cricketers sharing same schools isn’t novel by any means.
In an interview with PTI as quoted by India Today before the recently concluded second Test between South Africa and India at the Newlands, Bedingham labelled the legendary duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as his favourite Indian cricketers. Having modeled his technique in order to replicate them in various phases of his career, the right-handed batter must’ve been delighted to have made his debut against them last week.
“My two favourites among Indian players are [Rohit] Sharma and [Virat] Kohli. I think when I was between 13-18, I was trying to mould my technique like theirs [Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs] and when I had a bad game, I changed my technique to copy Kohli’s or try probably Sharma’s,” Bedingham told PTI.
Perhaps emulating such modern-day masters aided Bedingham in scoring an eye-catching 56 (87) on Test debut at the SuperSport Park. On a not-so-easy wicket to bat on, he showed his quality against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Akin numerous South African cricketers, Bedingham also left the country in the hope of excelling in County cricket and eventually representing England in international cricket. However, UK’s departure from the European Union resulted in the revoke of the Kolpak rule.
Even though the season was cut shot due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic, Bedingham scoring a couple of half-centuries across eight innings in his debut season for Durham was enough to impress the club with regard to signing him for the next season.
During County Championship 2021, he repaid the faith by emerging as the highest run-scorer amassing 1,029 runs at an average of 60.52 including a career-best 257 (410) against Derbyshire at the Riverside Ground. Apart from scoring runs consistently, Bedingham also had the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with England Test captain Ben Stokes at Durham.
“I think he [Ben Stokes] refrained from talking about cricket a lot. He spoke about dealing with pressures, speaking to a world-class player like him did help handle the pressure better during the first Test,” Bedingham said.
David Bedingham Had Survived A Rishabh Pantesque Accident
Among a rare crop of international cricketers who prioritize Test cricket in this day and age, David Bedingham is a part of another sporadic list of cricketers who survived dangerous car accidents. For those who are unaware, Bedingham had omitted his name from SA20 2024 draft in order to tour New Zealand for a two-match Test series which will witness Neil Brand becoming the 35th cricketer to lead a national team on Test debut.
A year after former West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran was bedridden for six months and six years before India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant clung to life, Bedingham was also involved in a car crash. It all had happened during his second year of studies at Stellenbosch University.
Beddingham, who once admitted to be enjoying his freedom in college, had fallen asleep while driving home from a golf session while preparing for the Varsity Sports College Cricket tournament. What followed was a horrific car crash that left him with a broken femur and jaw.
“I think I have gone through a lot. Sounds cliché but where I was in 2016 to where I am now, maybe the opportunity to play a Test match at Newlands is quite special. Having my parents here, who have been through a lot. Me not finishing my studies, so, I definitely owe them a lot,” Bedingham added.
As a result, Bedingham couldn’t play cricket for over a year and still feels limitations in his leg movements. Additionally, he could neither complete his college degree but feels blessed that he is able to live his dreams despite surviving a stroke of bad luck.
