Cricket SA's convenor of selectors explains David Bedingham's omission from higher honours

Cricket South Africa's convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang said Western Province batter David Bedingham would have been in South Africa A side conversations based on his current form.

Bedingham has returned to English county Durham and won't be playing for Western Province in the Cricket South Africa Provincial T20 Cup next week.

The 27-year-old's eligibility for England has been a hot topic and so has the form that's seen him rocket to the top of the Four-Day Series run-charts.

He's scored 509 runs at an average of 63.62, but Mpitsang noted that Bedingham's absence from domestic cricket last year may have counted against him despite an excellent return of 1 029 runs at 60.52 for Durham in the County Championship that saw him go fourth.

When the South Africa A squad for the India series was announced on 11 November last year, Bedingham had played two games for Western Province with scores of 33 (Paarl Rocks) and 62 and 50 (Dolphins) before the squad was announced.

Provincial team-mates Zubayr Hamza and Tony de Zorzi, who shared the number four duties in the drawn India 'A' series and scored 100s in the positions, also played two games each.

Hamza's scores were 94 (Paarl Rocks) and 24 and 28 from number three (Dolphins) while De Zorzi, who opened, made 6 and 5 against the Dolphins while scoring 129 against the Paarl Rocks.

Sarel Erwee, who will be travelling with the Proteas to New Zealand, and the Test-capped Pieter Malan, opened the batting in the three games.

In the 2020/21 season, Hamza (253 runs at 23) and De Zorzi (330 runs at 30) had ordinary returns in Covid-19 affected season, but their availability allowed them to stake SA claims.

Hamza though made 222* against Zimbabwe A in Harare which also catapulted him into