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Siddons hopes batsmen are learning

Bangladesh are facing an innings defeat in the first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein but their coach Jamie Siddons was not frustrated by their woeful batting performance

Cricinfo staff
22-Nov-2008

Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons said his batsmen were not experienced enough to handle a strong attack on a green pitch © Getty Images
 
Bangladesh are facing an innings defeat in the first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein - they trail by 221 runs with seven wickets in hand - but their coach Jamie Siddons was not frustrated by their woeful batting performance. It rained heavily on the third day but Bangladesh lost two wickets to slump to 67 for 3 before play was abandoned. They had also been dismissed for 153 in the first innings.
"[I'm] not that frustrated. I'm just hoping they are learning," Siddons was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "I think today's [Friday] performance was really good under a lot of pressure against a good bowling attack.
"[In the] first innings, on a greenish wicket, our boys were under pressure without the experience of having done that sort of thing before. I think they didn't expect much more, maybe 200 on that track against such an attack. When New Zealand came over here [to South Africa] they got bowled out for 120 every time they batted against the same attack."
The two wickets Bangladesh lost on Friday, those of Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique, were a result of batsmen chasing deliveries wide outside off stump. Siddons, however defended his batsmen's approach.
"Tamim has got to hit. If he doesn't hit that ball, he is never going to score," Siddons said. "That's what he waited for after letting [several deliveries] go. He got a bad ball but just didn't execute it well. It's not the shot selection. It's the execution."
Siddons offered a similar defence when asked about Mohammad Ashraful's attempted cover drive which produced an edge to slip in the first innings. "I think it was a half volley. He just didn't execute that shot. We have got to hit over-pitched and short balls."