AUSTRALIA TOUR TO SA
Rowan Callaghan|Published
For David Bedingham, the secret to surviving at international level has less to do with technical tweaks and everything to do with mental perspective.
After bursting into the Test arena, the 32-year-old admitted to spiralling into a period of excessive self-analysis.
Returning to English county cricket with Durham proved to be the circuit-breaker he needed – plundering 1 029 red-ball runs in the 2026 County Championship – allowing him to shake off the weight of expectation and embrace his natural game ahead of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park starting on Sunday.
That form carried seamlessly into South Africa's domestic season, where he notched up twin centuries (129 and 114) for Western Province before scoring 49 and 46 in his new role at number three in the series opener in Durban.
"I think after my first five Tests I did pretty well, and then I put myself under loads of pressure. It was loads of fun, obviously, (thinking) whatever happens, happens – and I think that’s personally when I play my best. 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."
Asked how difficult it is to maintain that "free spirit" approach under the gaze of the international spotlight, Bedingham offered a candid breakdown of his 15-Test journey so far.
"It's tough, obviously, but I think I've been through two periods of Test cricket," Bedingham explained. "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. 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.
"I had a good summer at Durham and came away a bit more confident than last year, but at the end of the day, it's just cricket. 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."
That mental lightness was equally evident when Bedingham recalled discussing the intensity of Australia's much-vaunted bowling attack that inkludes Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon with his friends back home.
Asked if they were able to offer him any advice that he could apply in the second Test, he replied: "Most of them are club players, so they all just said, 'reverse sweep, smack him across the line' ... that type of stuff. So not a lot of thought from them. For all of our batters, it will always be tough against them but It's just about how we can do it for longer."
Promoted up the order during the series opener, Bedingham brushed aside any suggestion that the Proteas' dressing room fell into panic mode after their 214-run defeat in Durban.
"There was no shouting or that type of stuff. It was more just, 'Let's bounce back'," Bedingham said. "It's a huge challenge, but if we bounce back, perfect. The main thing is just showing a good attitude."