The tourists, needing at least a draw to save the series, resumed on 180 for four chasing Australia's first innings 385 but lost their last six wickets for the addition of just 71 runs on another sweltering morning at the WACA.
The hosts will now look to extend their 134-run lead over the next three or four sessions before sending their bowlers out again to try and claim victory and reclaim the coveted urn.
Ian Bell clipped four runs off his pads in the first over of the day to save the follow-on but that was pretty much all that went right for England as Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle got swing and bounce from the old ball.
The cracks starting to open up in the sunbaked WACA wicket did not help England's cause but it was aggressive, disciplined bowling from the Australians that again did the damage.
Bell departed leg before for 15 from the third ball of the third over when an Australian review appeal confirmed Harris's delivery would have hit the stumps had it not been stopped by the batsman's front pad.
Johnson, the standout bowler in Australia's dominant wins in the first two tests, then broke a wicket drought of more than 40 overs to dismiss Ben Stokes for 18 with an outswinger that took a nick and was snaffled up by Brad Haddin.
Siddle took the next wicket when Matt Prior, who had scored eight, got a thin bottom edge and wicketkeeper Haddin again took the catch behind the stumps.
Stuart Broad lasted 23 minutes and had made five runs when he was dismissed lbw by Johnson with a full delivery that would have shattered his stumps.
With England's innings teetering on the brink at 229-8, their fortunes were not likely to improve when Australia took the new ball.
It was Harris who got the first wicket with it, Tim Bresnan returning to the dressing room with 21 runs to his name when he was unable to get his bat out of the way in time and was caught behind.
Graeme Swann (19 not out) and James Anderson (two) put on 18 runs for the final wicket but it was only a matter of whether the innings break or lunch would come first and in the end it was both.
Siddle dispatched Anderson, caught as short leg by George Bailey, to end the innings and finish with three for 36, while Harris ended up with 3-48 and Johnson 2-62.
0 comments:
Post a Comment