Tense battle set for thrilling climax at Dhaka

Bangladesh take a 153-run lead into the final day of their inaugural Test against England after reaching 245 for six by the time bad light brought a premature close to day four. Gareth Batty took England's first wicket of the day at the stroke of lunch to end a 108-run second wicket partnership between Hannan Sarkar and Habibul Bashar, and Stephen Harmison secured his seventh scalp of the match to set a new personal landmark.

Bangladesh began the day confidently, with Bashar driving Matthew Hoggard to the cover boundary and surviving an appeal for caught behind off the same bowler as he tried to hook. When he took another boundary with a straight drive, Michael Vaughan turned to Batty, who came close to breaking through with his fourth ball as Chris Read missed an extremely difficult chance off Sarkar's inside edge.

The 20-year-old Sarkar initially played second fiddle to Bashar, who has been a constant fixture in the Bangladesh team in their 24 Test matches. Hoggard returned but again without luck, watching edges from either batsman reach the boundary at third man. The uneven bounce added to England's frustration when a shooter from Hoggard eluded Read and hit the helmet behind him, with a five-run penalty against England resulting.

When Sarkar turned Rikki Clarke to the fine leg boundary Bangladesh were in front, a fact acknowledged by a rapturous roar from the rapidly filling National Stadium. Bashar's half century was similarly saluted, but he was dismissed for 58 on the stroke of lunch as Batty, brought back into the attack by Vaughan, induced an edge that was held at slip by Marcus Trescothick.

A scintillating cover drive off Batty brought up Sarkar's half century before Harmison made England's first breakthrough of the afternoon, inducing Alok Kapali to mis-hook high in the air for Mark Butcher to take the catch running out from short leg. When Harmison made way for Hoggard the Yorkshireman at last found some justice, along with Sarkar's outside edge for Trescothick to take his second catch of the innings.

Mushfiqur Rahman began aggressively but Ashley Giles increased the pressure on Bangladesh by drawing Khaled Mashud forward for Nasser Hussain to take a brilliant, one-handed catch off bat and pad, diving to his left at short leg. But Javed Omar, who was unable to open yesterday because of a thigh strain, joined Rahman to add another 43 priceless runs either side of tea before Omar fell, visibly displeased at being given out lbw hitting across the line at Hoggard.

It heralded another important partnership for Bangladesh, as Khaled Mahmud added 26 more for the seventh wicket with Rahman, who finished the day unbeaten on 43. The stage is set for a tense climax tomorrow.