CRICKET: Rain halts England victory bid.

GARETH BATTY silenced his Bangladesh critics and moved closer to earning a Test debut next week as England's attempt to claim a morale- boosting victory in their final warm-up match was halted by rain.

The Worcestershire off-spinner - dismissed as "ordinary" by opener Nafis Iqbal after he scored a first-innings century - produced a superb display to claim three for 19 as Bangladesh A slumped to 81 for four, still trailing by 10 runs, at lunch on the final day.

But with the A team tottering towards defeat, the tourists were denied their first victory of the tour by the return of the torrential rain which greeted their arrival in Dhaka a week ago and ruled out any further play. Fast bowler Steve Harmison had earlier lifted his hopes of being one of the two seamers expected to be named in England's Test line-up at the National Stadium on Tuesday with a lively spell to break Nafis' resistance in the 12th over of the morning.

Harmison broke the opener's 61-minute occupation of the crease when, after shaking him up with a succession of short balls, the talented Bangladesh batsman played a loose shot low to Graham Thorpe in the gully. The Durham fast bowler was unfortunate not to claim a second wicket in his next over when Aftab clearly gloved the ball to captain Michael Vaughan at leg gully, but the umpires refused England's appeal.

The tourists did not have long to wait for their breakthrough, however, Batty striking with his second delivery when Aftab drove straight to Vaughan at extra cover as the deteriorating pitch began to offer assistance to the spinners.

Batty strengthened England's advantage four overs later with Rajin guiding a sharp catch to Nasser Hussain at short leg and new batsman Najimuddin falling in the next over when he edged behind to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who was given his first outing of the tour this morning to allow Chris Read a deserved rest.

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SWEEPER: Marcus Trescothick on the way to 96 in Dhaka yesterday