"I've never played for CD or Hawke's Bay age-group sides. I don't know what the actual dates are but my age always stuffed me up," says the June 13 baby who, in the last Budget Rental Plunket Shield round victory against the Wellington Firebirds in Napier, found himself on the cusp of making his debut for the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags when he was named 12th man.
Dudding takes a lot of heart from the fact Stags coach Heinrich Malan and his co-selectors see potential in him but he balances that emotion, saying, "I got called in because of all the injuries".
"I was preparing myself to play but there was always a chance of becoming the 12th man," says the swing merchant, who relished training with Malan and team manager Lance Hamilton during the lunch breaks over the four-day match at McLean Park that yielded CD's maiden shield victory this season.
The woolstore storeman from Napier didn't let the disappointments of missing out on selections bother him much - in fact, it inspired him to bend his back even more.
"I enjoyed playing cricket so I just kept going."
According to Hawke's Bay Cricket Association coaching development officer Dale Smidt: "There's a bit of that cut-off date thing with the ICC Under-19 World Cup", so it pays to ideally be a September 1 baby.
Smidt says the June to August window pits those teenagers against players a year older through seasons.
"Liam came very close a couple of years [to selection] but he's a classic case of a late developer.
"But he's chipped away, played in Australia and worked very hard so it's fantastic what he's done," he says of Dudding, although Smidt believes the player's slight build in his teenage years made him vulnerable to injuries.
Smidt says ever since the seamer joined the Cornwall premier men's team in 2011-12 under its coach at the time, the late Mike Shrimpton, he has blossomed incrementally: "Shrimpo thought he'd go a long way because he has an easy action and he got see Liam more regularly."
Dudding attests to the belief of Shrimpton, the former New Zealand international batsman and White Ferns World Cup-winning coach who lost his battle with a brain tumour last year.
"He was a big part and was always putting my name forward," says Dudding, who started playing the game at age 5 but gravitated towards bowling "because I guess everyone likes to bat".
The former St John's College 1st XI cricketer is the product of former principal Neal Swindells who he labels as "very good".
However, last winter Dudding worked under CD director of cricket Craig Ross and suspects that spell shunted him into the eyes of Hawke's Bay coach Colin Schaw and his selectors.
Frankly he didn't think his break into the elite ranks was going to come this season.
Despite Bay and Cornwall captain Jacob Smith's suspicion that many Bay senior men's rep youngsters don't appreciate the significance of winning the Hawke Cup, Dudding reckons it's not lost on him.
"It's a long-held tradition and an awesome feeling, especially with the group of guys I'm with now," he says, before the Bay defends the cup against the Bay of Plenty at Nelson Park, Napier, from March 11-13.
Like Smith on rep duties, Dudding hasn't spent much time playing for Cornwall, who started their summer in the doldrums before mustering four wins in the Property Brokers 50-over competition to book a semifinal berth the following Saturday.
Fourth-placed Cornwall host last-placed The Station Napier Old Boys' Marist at Cornwall Park, Hastings, today in the hope of securing a better perch to avoid playing table-topping Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys who are a country mile ahead on 80 points.
United Travel Taradale CC are second on 48 points while Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay are in third place, locked on 35 points with Cornwall but boasting a better average.
In the other final-round games today, CHB host Taradale at Forest Gate Domain, Ongaonga, while NTOB welcome the fifth-placed and out-of-playoffs Villagers to Nelson Park.
Cornwall have built their base around veteran Jonathon Hall and seniors players Smith and Michael Taiaroa.
They haven't got a fulltime coach as such but intend to appoint one next season.
However, the club has released returning English import Alex Roberts, who has joined the NOBM line up.
