DHAKA: Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Mahmudullah hit contrasting half-centuries to help Bangladesh reach 250-5 at tea on the opening day of the second and final Test against England on Saturday.

Left-handed opener Tamim celebrated his 21st birthday with a blazing 85, while middle-order batsman Mahmudullah made a patient 59 to boost Bangladesh, who elected to bat on an easy-paced pitch.

Tamim looked set to achieve the rare feat of scoring a century in the opening session before being caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior while attempting to sweep debutant off-spinner James Tredwell.

Only Australians Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney and Don Bradman, and Pakistan's Majid Khan have scored a century in the opening session of a Test.

England spinners Graeme Swann and Tredwell shared three wickets in the space of 48 runs to reduce the hosts to 167-4 but Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan (45 not out) steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the fifth wicket.

The hosts were comfortably placed at 119-1 in the morning session before losing Tamim, debutant Jahurul Islam and Junaid Siddique (39).

Tamim, who offered two chances in a 71-ball knock, flayed the England attack in a superb exhibition of strokeplay as he smashed a six and 13 fours.

He added 53 for the first wicket with Imrul Kayes (12) and 66 for the next with Siddique.

Tamim offered a chance on 11 when he slashed paceman Tim Bresnan in the day's second over but Paul Collingwood failed to hold on after getting his hand to it at second slip.

Tamim was on 35 when let off again, this time with skipper Alastair Cook dropping him at mid-on off paceman Stuart Broad.

The England fast bowler, however, got a wicket in the same over when he had Kayes superbly caught by Steven Finn, who ran in from mid-off and dived to his right to latch on to the drive.

Bresnan was replaced by Swann after conceding 23 in his opening three overs, but runs continued to flow as the hosts raced to 95 in the opening hour.

Tamim greeted Swann with two fours in the bowler's opening over before smashing him for three boundaries and a six over long-on off successive deliveries to complete his sixth Test half-century off 34 balls.

Siddique hit pacemen Finn and Broad each for three fours in an over before being trapped leg-before by Swann in the afternoon session.

Finn got his first wicket when he had Mahmudullah caught by Collingwood at backward point. The Bangladeshi batsman hit nine fours in his fourth Test half-century.