Bangladesh avoid follow on but Sri Lanka on top

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Reuters) - A Mashrafe Mortaza half century helped Bangladesh avoid the follow on but Sri Lanka remained firmly on top in the second test after dismissing the hosts for 208 runs in their first innings on Sunday.

The visitors stretched their 176-run first innings lead to 189, ending the second day with a second innings total of 13-0.

Bangladesh toiled hard to avoid batting in successive innings after losing their ninth wicket for 145 runs in reply to Sri Lanka's 384 with Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain striking a defiant final wicket partnership.

They frustrated the visitors for more than an hour, adding 63 runs before Mortaza was caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan off Muttiah Muralitharan at deep midwicket for 63.

Chaminda Vaas had earlier removed both openers Tamim Iqbal (0) and Imrul Kayes (6) before a full-toss ball from Dilhara Fernando uprooted the middle-stump of Zunaed Siddique, who made 28.

Ajantha Mendis, playing his first test away form home, removed Roqibul Hassan before lunch and added two more wickets in the second session when Mehrab Hossain (18) and Shakib Al Hasan (0) were adjudged lbw off successive balls.

His fourth and final victim was Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene for 21.

Muralitharan joined the act dismissing skipper Mohammad Ashraful, who made 45 before his attempted reverse swipe took the bottom edge to land in hands of wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, leaving Bangladesh at 122-7.

In the morning, the tourists added only 13 runs in four overs to the overnight 371 for six before they were all out.