South Africa batsman Temba Bavuma to play 2019 county season with Northamptonshire

South African batsman Temba Bavuma hasn’t had a great start to his stint in the inaugural Mzansi Super League for the Durban Heat, scoring zero and four in the two games he has played, but the road to his exposure in cricket hasn’t narrowed down. The 28-year-old batsman will appear for the English county side Northamptonshire in the upcoming season.

The Cape Town-born batsman has signed a three-month contract with the county side and he will be doing the responsibility for them between May and July. Bavuma, who made his international debut in 2014, has played 31 Tests so far scoring 1,488 runs at an average of almost 34. However, in limited-over cricket, he has played just two ODIs since scoring a century against Ireland on debut in 2016 and his county contract confirms that he isn’t in South Africa’s scheme of things for the ICC World Cup in England around the same time in 2019.

Northamptonshire’s ambitions

Bavuma will play eight county matches for the Northants and the club is excited over his arrival. “Signing a player of Temba’s international stature underlines our ambitions as a club,” Northamptonshire’s chief executive Ray Payne was quoted as saying to South Africa’s sport24.

“We are keen to return to the Championship’s top division and hopefully his runs will help us achieve that.  His Test experience will bring an added dimension to the team and we’re all looking forward to welcoming a cricketer who is admired and respected around the cricketing world,” he added.

In first-class cricket, the right-handed batsman has scored over 6,600 runs in 125 matches at an average of 37 plus and hit 12 centuries and 37 fifties. His last Test was against Sri Lanka on their soil in July. Bavuma has been in good form of late as the Lions captain hit a couple of half centuries in the ongoing 4-Day Franchise Series with the highest score of 94.

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