Bangladesh batsmen take lead past 200

Tea Bangladesh 119 for 3 (Raqibul 10*, Mushfiqur 2*) and 350 for 9 decl lead West Indies 244 (Sammy 58, Chanderpaul 49, Sunny 6-94) by 225 runs

Darren Sammy scored his first half-century in Tests © Associated Press

Elias Sunny shone brightly again, making further inroads into the West Indies batting line-up and becoming only the fourth Bangladesh bowler to take a five-for on debut. But his team was also on the receiving end of a counter-attack led by Darren Sammy, who raced to his first half-century in Tests, a slightly belated achievement for someone leading the side as a genuine allrounder. Though Sammy's naturally attacking approach quickly boosted the score on a turning fifth-day track, Bangladesh's lead was still sizable enough to give them confidence going into the next Test; their batsmen extended that advantage with a confident show in the second session in a Test heading for only one result after two days were washed out.

The early fall of Samuels, who needlessly attempted a drive over extra cover only to be caught, handed Sunny his fifth wicket - Naimur Rehman, Manjurul Islam and Mahmudullah being the other Bangladesh bowlers to achieve the feat on debut. But the threat of a dispiriting collapse from the visitors was averted by a spunky, entertaining stand between Sammy and Baugh - the Test was virtually dead and directionless after two days were lost to rain but days four and five have given the spectators some moments to savour. Sammy dealt harshly with spin from one end while Baugh targeted the pace of Rubel Hossain at the other.

Sammy shunned caution and did what he was most comfortable doing. He smashed Sunny over midwicket and mid-on off the next two deliveries, before slashing him through point in his next over. Predictably, the field moved back, but that didn't stop Sammy. He slog-swept Shakib, who replaced Sunny, and drilled him through long-on for successive boundaries and there was more frustration for the hosts when Tamim Iqbal dropped him in the deep.

Baugh, in the interim, tackled Rubel, who was bowling quick. He was taken aback by a testing bouncer that he managed to fend away for four and replied imperiously, pulling Rubel through midwicket, delicately glancing him to the fine-leg boundary and hooking him in the same direction. The pair had added 60 runs in 41 balls, taken their team past 200, before Sunny returned for a new spell and bowled a sweeping Baugh round his legs. The counterattack, however, continued; Rampaul slog-swept a six before being dismissed and Sammy bludgeoned two massive sixes over long-on - one got him to his half-century - before swinging wildly and being bowled by one that kept low from Shakib, who finished the innings with three wickets.

Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul bowled incisively in the second innings, attacking from round the wicket, troubling the openers with bouncers and nipping out the wicket of Imrul Kayes, who edged a catch to the keeper. Samuels was threatening when he hit the rough and got the ball to shoot away, beating the outside edge from round the wicket.

Tamim and Nafees, however, survived the early discomfort and batted fluently, capitalising on any width to dispatch the ball through their favoured off side. Tamim fell during one such attempt, being caught-behind, but Nafees, as he had done in the first innings, cut and drove with aplomb to reach a half-century. He chopped one on to the stumps shortly before tea. With a lead of 225 and 37 overs remaining, the only talking point was whether we would see a sporting declaration?