Dhaka: Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah scored rapid half-centuries to lead Bangladesh to 330 for eight at stump on the opening day of the second test against England on Saturday.

Mahmudullah was dismissed for 59, his fourth test fifty, after sharing in a fifth-wicket stand of 59 with skipper Shakib Al Hasan to help the hosts recover from a three-wicket burst from the tourists either side of lunch.

Steven Finn claimed the wicket of Mahmudullah in the first ball of his second spell with Paul Collingwood taking an easy catch at backward point.

At the stumps, Naeem Islam was on 33 with Shafiul Islam at the other end on eight.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Bangladesh stuttered each time a decent partnership was beginning to develop after opener Tamim Iqbal had given them a storming start with 85 off just 71 balls in the morning session.

Tamim celebrated his 21st birthday with some fireworks of his own, attacking every England bowler before debutant off-spinner James Tredwell had him caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

The left-handed opener made his intentions clear when he got off the mark with a boundary off the first ball of the innings and completed his fifty in just 34 deliveries with three successive fours off the bowling of Graeme Swann.

He blasted the next ball for a six to take 20 runs from what was Swann's third over in the game as Bangladesh made the most of favourable bating conditions

Tamim, who was dropped by Collingwood off Tim Bresnan on 11 and by skipper Alastair Cook at mid on off Stuart Broad on 36, clubbed 13 fours and a six in his sixth test fifty.

Bangladesh raced to 95 runs in the first hour thanks to Tamim's aggression before the introduction of Tredwell slowed down their run riot.

After Tredwell ended Tamim's 66-run second wicket stand with Zunaed Siddique, Swann showed he had recovered from his earlier battering by trapping debutant Jahirul Islam lbw for a duck.

Swann later dismissed Zunaed lbw for 39 to give England their first success in the post-lunch session.

Earlier, Broad ended a 53-run opening stand between Tamim and Imrul Kayes, with Finn taking a fine diving catch to dismiss the latter for 12.

England lead the two-match series 1-0 after completing a 181-run victory in Chittagong on Tuesday.

Brief scores
Bangladesh: 338 for 8 (Tamim Iqbal 85, Mahmudullah 59, Swann 3-94, Tredwell 2-85)