Bangladesh's top order collapsed in familiar fashion on Thursday, leaving them tottering at 93 for four in their first innings on the second day of the second Test against England.

That left them 233 runs behind England, who suffered a collapse of their own earlier in the day, losing their last five wickets for 13 runs as they were bowled out for 326.

England medium-pacer Rikki Clarke, playing only his second match, grabbed two wickets off successive balls to reduce Bangladesh from 61 for two to 63 for four after opener Javed Omar (2) and Habibul Bashar (18) had fallen early.

The 22-year-old Clarke trapped Hanaan Sarkar (28) lbw, shuffling across his stumps, on the last ball of his fourth over and then got Alok Kapali, fending a bouncer to gully, off the first ball of his fifth.

England had earlier slumped from 313 for five as Chris Read (37), Nasser Hussain (76), Richard Johnson (6), Martin Saggers (1) and Ashley Giles (6) fell within 13 overs. Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza claimed a career-best four for 60.

"It was my best day in Test cricket," Mortaza told reporters. "I had the satisfaction of bringing my team back into the match when things were drifting away."

But the visitors still ended the day in command because of Bangladesh's failure to come to terms with a pitch that offered seamers Hoggard, Clarke, Johnson and debutant Saggers some bounce and lateral movement.

"We should have got a bigger first innings score, but we lost wickets suddenly," England coach Duncan Fletcher said.

"We still hope to push for a win because there is life on the wicket if you bowl at a lively pace. We've got the bowlers to exploit the conditions."

England started the day at 237 for four, but lost Clarke in the day's fourth over when he edged Mortaza to second slip, where Hannan Sarkar took a low catch diving to his right.

Hussain, trying to wear out the Bangladesh bowlers in a pedestrian 266-ball knock, raised his 29th Test 50 and consolidated with Read to take England past the 300-run mark, their first time against Bangladesh in two Tests.

Bangladesh have lost 24 of their 25 Tests since getting full Test status three years ago. Their only draw was in a rain-hit match against Zimbabwe in 2001.

Scoreboard:

England first innings: (overnight 237 for four)
M.Trescothick c Mushfiqur Rahman b Khaled Mahmud 60
M.Vaughan c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe Mortaza 54
M.Butcher b Mohammad Rafique 6
N.Hussain c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe Mortaza 76
G.Thorpe b Mashrafe Mortaza 0
R.Clarke c Hannan Sarkar b Mashrafe Mortaza 55
C.Read c Rajin Saleh b Enamul Haque Jnr 37
A.Giles lbw b Mushfiqur Rahman 6
R.Johnson c Khaled Mashud b Mushfiqur Rahman 6
M.Saggers lbw b Mohammad Rafique 1
M.Hoggard not out 0

Extras: (b-8 lb-5 nb-5 w-7) 25

Total: (all out, 135.3 overs) 326

Fall of wickets: 1-126 2-133 3-134 4-134 5-250 6-313 7-313 8-321 9-326

Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 28-11-60-4 (nb-3 w-2), Mushfiqur Rahman 18.3-5-50-2, Khaled Mahmud 23-8-46-1 (w-5), Mohammad Rafique 37-15-63-2, Enamul Haque Jnr 23-4-81-1 (nb-2), Alok Kapali 4-0-12-0, Rajin Saleh 2-1-1-0.

Bangladesh first innings:
Hannan Sarkar lbw b Clarke 28
Javed Omar c Vaughan b Johnson 2
Habibul Bashar c Butcher b Hoggard 18
Rajin Saleh not out 24
Alok Kapali c Butcher b Clarke 0
Mushfiqur Rahman not out 16

Extras: (nb-5) 5

Total: (for four wickets, 38 overs) 93

To bat: Khaled Mashud, Khaled Mahmud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Enamul Haque Jnr

Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-44 3-61 4-63

Bowling: Hoggard 13-0-42-1 (nb-5), Johnson 10-3-26-1, Clarke 7-4-7-2, Saggers 6-2-16-0, Giles 2-1-2-0.