SUNRISERS NEW WILDCARD, BEDINGHAM STRIKES 188*

Sunrisers Eastern Cape may yet have discovered another gem in David Bedingham ahead of Betway SA20 Season 3. 

The back-to-back champions have shown over the past two seasons that they are loath to chase high-profile signatures in order to achieve success. 

Instead, they rely on their instinct and high cricketing intelligence across the coaching staff to source players that will fit into their unique culture and Sunrisers ethos.

During Season 1, SEC called up Jordan Hermann as a wildcard after the youngster was overlooked at the auction. 

The left-hander responded by playing crucial knocks in the leadup to the inaugural championship success before exploding in Season 2 with a maiden T20 century at Newlands. 

Equally, Patrick Kruger was the find of Season 2 for the Sunrisers. The all-rounder had initially put in a request just to be a net bowler for the Sunrisers, but ultimately finished the season having played some vital knocks lower down the order to earn a Proteas T20 call-up to the Caribbean after being called up as replacement for Sisanda Magala.

And now it seems that the stage is set for new wildcard signing Bedingham. 

While not entirely a rookie due to his red-ball exploits for the Proteas’ Men’s Test team, the 30-year-old remains an unknown quantity across the white-ball formats.

That may, however, all change after his monumental innings for the South Africa ‘A’ team against their Sri Lankan counterparts in Potchefstroom on Wednesday. 

After the Asian visitors set South Africa ‘A’ a challenging 309 for victory in the one-day clash, Bedingham exploded at the top of the order with a remarkable career-best 188 not out.

Bedingham was superb from the outset and carried the momentum through the innings, belting 20 fours and five sixes in his 129-ball pyrotechnics display as South Africa 'A' romped home with seven overs to spare.

The attacking right-hander will certainly add a great deal of firepower to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape batting unit that already boasts the explosive talents of Hermann, Kruger, captain Aiden Markram, English duo Zak Crawley and Tom Abell and of course Tristan Stubbs.