Durham batsman David Bedingham is excited at the opportunity the 2021 season will bring as he prepares for what will be his first full season with the club.
Bedingham who scored 253 runs in a shortened Bob Willis Trophy season with a highest score of 96, is pleased he had the opportunity to play cricket last summer despite the pandemic affecting sport throughout the world.
“I feel like the 2020 season was a great learning experience, I didn’t do as well as I wanted to, but I am really looking forward to playing a full season and hoping to improve in all three formats for Durham”, Bedingham said.
Having joined the club last February, the 26-year-old, managed a three-day pre-season tour to Zimbabwe before the United Kingdom was placed into lockdown, meaning a completely different summer was in store for Bedingham.
On the contrary, this winter, the Durham squad have been able to prepare for the season, albeit in small groups. “It’s actually been my first full pre-season in several years and I feel it has been tough, but really good.
“This pre-season has given the chance personally to work on the basics. The conditioning and gym work has been really challenging but I am sure all the guys are stronger and fitter for it.” added Bedingham.
Pitches with lots of grass on and overhead conditions often favour the bowlers in April, but the right-hander is up for the challenge.
“I have heard that the conditions are completely different in April compared to the middle of the summer, but I feel like we’ve all been exposed to different challenging conditions in our lives, so this is just another challenge that hopefully I can overcome. I am nervous about standing in the field on a cold windy day, that will take some getting used to!
“But I am really excited for the season and keen to test the skills we have worked so hard for in pre-season out in the middle against other teams.
Bedingham joined Durham on the back of recent white-ball success in South Africa, and the opportunity for a full white-ball season excites him: “I am really excited, hopefully I can adjust to the changing formats better than I did last year, but a full Blast campaign and 50 over competition just means more opportunity to show my skills off and hopefully I can do that.”