Hussain, Thorpe extend England's dominance

England moved into a position of total control in the second Test at Chittagong, ending the third day with a lead of 467 over Bangladesh. Nasser Hussain made 95 and Graham Thorpe 52 to ram home the advantage after the hosts were dismissed for 152 this morning, Richard Johnson taking five wickets for the second time in his two Tests.

With Marcus Trescothick suffering from a bruised thumb, Mark Butcher opened England's second innings with Michael Vaughan, pummelling 17 in the two overs England had to bat before lunch. Bangladesh's woes deepened after the interval when Mashrafe Mortaza twisted a knee during his follow through.

Butcher and Vaughan sustained England's momentum into the afternoon session before Butcher (42) fell to Mohammad Rafique for the third time in the series as he edged behind attempting a steer to third man. Vaughan (25) was run out in a dreadful misunderstanding, answering a call for a non-existent single after Hussain, eager to get off the mark, pushed straight to gully.

Unruffled, Thorpe clubbed two fierce leg-side boundaries and Hussain recovered from the run out to blossom delightfully, mixing booming drives with deft late cuts as Bangladesh toiled in the heat. He was the first of the two to 50, including ten boundaries in his second half century of the match, and when Rajin Saleh came on he celebrated with six over long on to hoist the hundred partnership.

Thorpe's own 50 followed as the game moved inexorably beyond the hosts. As the shadows lengthened over MA Aziz Stadium, England's two senior batsman established total mastery, scoring pretty much at will despite Khaled Mahmud's attempts to shuffle his fielders and depleted attack. The partnership was worth 138 when Thorpe was lbw to Rafique for 54 as he aimed to leg.

Chris Read joined Hussain to see the lead past 400 before England's former captain fell just five short of his 14th Test century, driving a return catch to Rafique. Rikki Clarke defied a stomach bug to enter at number six, wasting little time before clearing the rope at long on. Clarke and Read added 59 off just 34 balls as the hosts were run ragged. Clarke was lbw for 27 in the last over to bring in Trescothick, and Read went to his highest Test score of 38 from the last ball of the day.

Bangladesh's batsmen, despite avoiding the follow-on, were always on the back foot this morning. Saleh, who had survived a torrid examination yesterday, lasted just six overs before a cramped attempt to cut Johnson was edged to Read behind the stumps. In Johnson's next over Khaled Mashud was stitched up by another short delivery, fending it to substitute fielder Paul Collingwood in the gully.

With the follow-on looming Mahmud responded aggressively with a run-a-ball 15 before he was out in much the same way as Mashud, caught by Collingwood off Johnson. An edge past second slip to the third man boundary from Rafique ensured England would bat again.

Martin Saggers took his first Test wicket when he found away movement to have the obdurate Mushfiqur Rahman caught behind. Mortaza lost his off stump having a mow at Johnson, and Enamul Haque Junior hooked Saggers down to Matthew Hoggard at long leg. It handed England a huge advantage for their batsmen to exploit in the remaining two sessions.