Offspinner Graeme Swann claimed three of the wickets as Australia lost five batsmen in a bizarre 73-minute sequence after lunch. The top four of Australia's increasingly brittle batting order were all culpable in one way or another.
No. 7 Brad Haddin was unbeaten on 2 at the interval with Peter Siddle yet to score, and their team still needing 66 more runs to make England bat a second time after posting 361.
Swann had figures of 3-27, while the recalled paceman Tim Bresnan had 2-28.
England, 1-0 up in the five-match series after winning at Trent Bridge, was bossing the game despite placid batting conditions in hot and sunny conditions. Australia needs its lower order to contribute as significantly as it did in Nottingham.
Shane Watson (30) fell to the last ball before lunch, lbw to Bresnan and wasted one of his team's two reviews in the process. But few would have expected the capitulation that followed.
Chris Rogers, playing on his home ground and where he is captain of county team Middlesex, was lbw to Swann for 15, though in farcical circumstances. Swann bowled an ugly waist-high full-toss which the left-hander tried to pull towards the Tavern Stand only to miss his connection and be struck in the mid-rift.
Umpire Marais Erasmus ruled the ball was dipping sufficiently to hit the stumps. Although Rogers consulted his partner Usman Khawaja, he opted not to utilise his team's remaining review. If he had, he would have been reprieved as replays showed the ball missing leg stump.
That was 50-2, which became 53-3 when Phil Hughes attempted a smear through cover at a wide Bresnan delivery, only to be given caught behind for 1.
He immediately reviewed his dismissal but third umpire Tony Hill upheld the original decision through lack of evidence to the contrary - there was no obvious mark on hot-spot but there was a slight noise.
Khawaja, recalled for this match, was dropped on 7 by Jonathan Trott at slip off Swann, but the spinner had his revenge when the left-hander irresponsibly tried to hit him over long off only to find Kevin Pietersen at mid-off. That was 69-4.
Steve Smith prodded a Swann off-break to Ian Bell at short-leg to make it 86-5, while Australia captain and team talisman Michael Clarke was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad for 28.
The collapse was complete before tea with the needless run out of Ashton Agar for 2, as he called for a single but striker Haddin was rooted to his crease.
An aggressive last-wicket partnership of 48 earlier boosted England's first innings. Broad (33) and Swann (28 not out) clubbed the precious runs in just 40 deliveries. Their effort undermined the excellent bowling display from Ryan Harris, who claimed 5-72 to secure his name on the famous Lord's honours board.
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