Opener Omar Phillips fell six short of a century on debut but helped West Indies to a first-innings lead of 69 over Bangladesh on yesterday's third day of the first cricket Test at Arnos Vale.

Bangladesh reduced the deficit to 43 by stumps as openers Imrul Kayes (14 not out) and Tamim Iqbal (11 not out) took their team to 26-0.

Earlier, the 22-year-old Phillips struck seven fours in 94 as the home team, in reply to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 238, made 307.

All-rounders Dave Bernard (53) and Darren Sammy (48) supported well in the middle order.

Right-knee injury

Off-spinner Mahmudullah (3-59) and fast bowler Rubel Hossain (3-76), both on debut, led the visitors' attack. Left-arm spinner Shakib-al-Hasan, pressed into captaincy duties early in the day after skipper Mashrafe Mortaza injured his right knee in delivery stride, took 2-76.

West Indies enjoyed the early exchanges after resuming on 17-1 as Phillips and nightwatchman Ryan Austin stretched their partnership to a match-best 79.

Phillips, subdued overnight as he was yet to score, began enterprisingly and played handsome strokes all around the ground.

Austin, who contributed 17 off 85 balls, was content to play a supporting role.

Bangladesh were made to wait until 45 minutes before lunch to grab a breakthrough as 19-year-old Rubel induced an edge from Austin and Imrul grabbed a very low catch at first slip.

The host lunched happily at 136-2 but Bangladesh rebounded in the second session with four wickets.

Travis Dowlin, who added 48 with Phillips, compiled a busy 22 with four boundaries but fell soon after the break as he was plainly lbw to Shakib.

'A bit disappointing'

Phillips was closing in on becoming the 12th West Indian centurion on debut when he drove at Rubel and provided a catch to short extra cover at 176-4.

"It's a bit disappointing. It was a great innings. I tried to change the tactics a bit in the 90s and that's where I fell down," Phillips said. "Next time I get there I would know not to change my game plan."

Phillips, the fourth West Indies player to emerge from the rural Boscobel village in Barbados after recent pacers Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore and Fidel Edwards, faced 177 balls in 226 minutes.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh 1st Innings

238 all out

West Indies 1st Innings

(overnight 17-1)

D. Richards lbw b Shakib 13O. Phillips c Raqibul b Rubel 94

R. Austin c Imrul Kayes b Rubel Hossain 17

T. Dowlin lbw b Shakib 22F. Reifer c Shakib b Mahmudullah 25

D. Bernard c sub (Mehrab Hossain) b Shahadat 53

C. Walton c Shakib b Mahmudullah 0D. Sammy b Mahmudullah 48N. Miller c Mushfiqur b Rubel 0

K. Roach c sub (Mehrab Hossain) b Ashraful 6

T. Best not out 1Extras: (4b, 3lb, 2w, 19nb) 28TOTAL: (all out) 307

Overs: 95.1.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-94, 3-142, 4-176, 5-227, 6-227, 7-267, 8-267, 9-306, 10-307.

Bowling: Mortaza 6.3-0-26-0 (3nb), Hossain 13-2-48-1 (9nb), al-Hasan 35-10-76-2, R. Hossain 15-1-76-3 (7nb, 2w), Mahmudullah 19.4-2-59-3, Ashraful 6-0-15-1.

Bangladesh 2nd Innings

T. Iqbal not out 11I. Kayes not out 14Extras: (1nb) 1

TOTAL: (for no wicket) 26

Bowling: Roach 3-0-11-0, Best 2-0-13-0, Austin 2-0-2-0 (1nb).

Umpires: Tony Hill, New Zealand; Asoka de Silva, Sri Lanka.