Khaled Mashud won the acclaim of his countrymen with a maiden Test century against West Indies in St Lucia in June as the newest Test-playing nation came of age with a deserved draw.

Of less significance but still important to Bangladesh's morale as they prepare for the ICC in England was his rescue act at Limavady with his side on the verge of collapse at 116 for six against some spirited Irish bowling.

Nafis Iqbal, hero of the previous day with a century, was one of those who went cheaply as Ireland threatened to repeat their early summer victories over Surrey and the West Indies.

Wicketkeeper Mashud shared a stand of 79 with Mohammad Rafique to put his team on course for a final score of 231 all out, which ultimately proved beyond the Irish batsmen.

Mashud was undefeated on 51 at the close, while Rafique will be pleased with his defiant 42 before becoming Gordon Cooke's second victim.

Ireland will rue a series of dropped catches by wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe, the crucial one coming with Rafique on 13.

A wicket then would have left Bangladesh on 144 for seven and staring defeat in the face.

Medium pacer Cooke had figures of five for 55 after mopping up the Bangladeshi tail and off-spinner Kyle McCallan weighed in with three for 33 to give the tourists a serious examination of their batting ahead of the ICC Trophy.

Accuracy, however, was not an Irish feature as they conceded 40 extras, 30 of them from wides or no-balls, in the blustery early conditions.

Cooke will be particularly pleased with his haul. He came out of retirement to join the Ireland squad for the two games with West Indies this summer but injured his ankle in the first match and has struggled to regain his place since then.

In reply, Ireland were in a promising position at 130 for four after 33 overs but were worn down by the Bangladesh attack and collapsed to 177 all out, with Jeremy Bray top-scoring on 46.

Pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers was Khaled Mahmud with four for 34, while Rafique's two for 30, coupled with his bright batting, earned him the man-of-the-match award.

It was Bangladesh's second win in two days on their Irish tour, though considerably more comfortable than the scrambled last-ball victory the previous day at Stormont. Bangladesh continue their warm-ups with two more one-day matches against Scotland today and tomorrow in Edinburgh.

Ireland coach Adrian Birrell said: "On both days we had great opportunities to make a mark, but catches were dropped at vital times and that cost us dearly.

"It's a harsh lesson, but we have to be sharper in the field. We didn't reach the standards we have achieved this summer.

"It has been a good season, with the wins over Surrey and the West Indies - it's a shame to go out on a losing note."