1st Test Day 4 BAN V ENG

England 293 & 240 (80.2 overs): Stokes 85, Shakib 5-85
Bangladesh 248 & 253-8 (78 overs): Sabbir 59*, Batty 3-65

England lead by 32 runs

Bangladesh need a further 33 runs with just two wickets left for a first Test victory over England, after closing day four on 253-8 in Chittagong.

England's final two wickets lasted barely four overs and added only 12 runs as they were all out for 240, leaving the hosts with a target of 286.

Imrul Kayes struck 43 and Mushfiqur Rahim (39) put on 87 with debutant Sabbir Rahman as they raced to 227-5.

Gareth Batty took 3-65 but Sabbir, dropped on 34, remains unbeaten on 59.

Bangladesh have won only seven of their previous 93 Tests, losing all eight matches against England to date.

Their only victories have come against Zimbabwe and an under-strength West Indies.

Tigers pair find perfect blend

Bangladesh have scored more than 286 in the fourth innings on three previous occasions against England but have lost each time.

England should have ensured their target was over 300, but there was a needless run-out in the second over of the day when Stuart Broad was well short of his ground attempting an injudicious single to gully.

Kayes was immediately keen to attack when England opened with their two off-spinners, 39-year-old Batty in his first Test since 2005, and Moeen Ali, the man who took three wickets in the first innings.

But the fact the Tigers still have a golden opportunity to record a momentous win is down to the 163-ball sixth-wicket partnership between their defiant, astute captain and the counter-attacking of 24-year-old Sabbir.

Fortunes continue to fluctuate

The spirited Batty claimed lbws in consecutive overs, both after reviews from either team, and the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, after one enormous six in his 24, appeared to have put England in command with 146 needed from the final five wickets.

But 24-year-old Sabbir clobbered Moeen for two sixes on both sides of the wicket and rattled up 23 from his first 20 balls.

He survived a difficult low chance down the leg-side to Jonny Bairstow off Broad with 83 needed but the fervent home support was silenced when captain Mushfiqur departed 59 short of the winning post, as Batty got one to spit up at him and take the glove, another example of the wearing surface.

Broad then produced a spirited spell, with seam often favoured over spin as the Tigers attacked, the 30 overs from the England quicker bowlers conceding only 51 runs.

Broad claimed wickets in consecutive overs to put England in sight of victory but number 10 Taijul Islam edged Batty through the hands of Ben Stokes only yards away from the bat in the gully as both teams felt the tension under the floodlights.

The one conclusion nobody was expecting was the umpires taking the players off for bad light 12 minutes earlier than the previous evening had finished.