AP
South Africa's captain Graeme Smith (right) congratulates his teammate Neil McKenzie for scoring a hundred during the second Test match in Chittagong, Bangladesh yesterday.

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP):

South Africa's Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie moved within eight runs of the world record opening stand in Test cricket, by putting on an unbeaten 405 runs on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh yesterday.

Smith (223) and McKenzie (169) look likely to break the record held by India's Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy since 1956 - set against New Zealand - when play resumes today.

On a day of records, Smith passed 5,000 Test runs and became the first South African to score four Test double-centuries, moving out of a tie with Gary Kirsten. He broke his own record for the biggest opening stand in South African history, which he had set with Herschelle Gibbs against Pakistan in 2003.

McKenzie scored his first century for seven years and looks likely to participate in South Africa's biggest ever partnership for any wicket, currently held by Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar, who put on an unbeaten 429 for the third wicket against Bangladesh in 2003. That is also the largest partnership by any team against Bangladesh.

It was a humbling day for the hosts, who had threatened a famous win over South Africa in the first Test before losing by five wickets, but could find no encouragement from an unresponsive pitch at Chittagong's Divisional Stadium.

South Africa, unsatisfied with their performance despite winning the series opener, made amends yesterday. Smith hit 32 boundaries and one six to reach an unbeaten 223 off 254 balls.

Patience

The more patient McKenzie brought up his century off 198 balls with 13 boundaries and one six. He was dropped when on 131 on a day when the batsmen rarely looked vulnerable.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first and already look to have the match in its keeping. The only question is whether it can force a result on a pitch that offers bowlers little.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful used seven bowlers in a fruitless bid to dislodge South Africa's opening pair.