WP's Bedingham moves on from SA cricket, eyes England qualification

Talented South African middle-order batsman David Bedingham is set to return to Durham where he will continue the process of qualifying to play international cricket for England. 

The 27-year-old has been a hot topic of conversation given his form in this season's 4-Day Series, where he is the competition's leading run scorer with 509 runs at an average of 63.62 for Western Province. 

Bedingham is contracted to Durham and he confirmed that his time at Newlands had come to an end. 

"Durham asked me to return and train with the squad and get ready for the upcoming season, WP agreed to let me leave at the end of January before the T20 competition," Bedingham said.

"They have terminated my contract but it ended on very good terms, with no drama. I can’t thank the coaching staff and CEO enough for the season, I really enjoyed it.

Western Province coach, Salieg Nackerdien thanked Bedingham for his contribution to the team.

“David has been a fantastic player for Western Province this season," Nackerdien said.

"He is the top scorer in the 4 Day Competition as it stands with 509 runs, but we always knew that he would be returning to Durham for their pre-season, and we wish him everything of the best for their season ahead. He will always be welcomed back to WP whenever possible.”  

According to an interview with Cricket Fanatics Magazine, Bedingham, who was born in George but has a British passport, said that he had not had any contact with anybody from Cricket South Africa regarding possible Proteas selection. 

"The deal with Durham is until the end of the 2024 season, I love playing for Durham – great people, great club and lovely place to live," he said during the interview.

"To my understanding, I qualify [for England] at the end of