Australia have a 34 run lead at the close of the third day's play at Edgbaston, with Steve Smith at the crease looking resolute in the second innings after his 144 in the first.
England - 374 / 284 & 124-3 - Australia
England find themselves once again facing the near-invincible Steve Smith at the crease as the first Test is delicately poised after day three.
After his 144 in the first innings, former captain Smith ended the day on 46 not out with his side 124-3 with a lead of 34.
Australia were in danger of not needing to make England bat again at 37-2, before Smith added 48 with Usman Khawaja and an unbroken 49 with Travis Head.
David Warner's early dismissal prompted jubilation from the Hollies Stand, not dissimilar to their celebration of the 65-run ninth-wicket stand between Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad earlier in the day.
Woakes made 37 not out and Broad 29 after four wickets had fell for 18 runs, including an 11-ball spell of three wickets for four runs.
As they look to dismiss Australia quickly England are likely to be without their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson, who batted but did not bowl on Saturday because of a calf injury.
Fortunes fluctuated throughout the morning and afternoon, with the batting collapse followed by the Woakes-Broad partnership which saw England take a narrow lead.Smith picked up from where he left off in the first innings, rescuing his team after two early wickets.
The key for England to prosper on Sunday will be to get him out early and hope to limit Australia's total to make the final innings chase easier.
But, if he goes on to make a similar total to that of the first innings, it could put the game beyond England.
England managed to dismiss two of the sandpaper conspirators early, the wickets of Warner and Cameron Bancroft receiving two of the biggest cheers of the day.
Warner was indecisive between playing and leaving off Broad to be caught behind on review, while Bancroft scooped Moeen Ali to short leg not long afterwards.
Khawaja was dropped by Jos Buttler off Ali on 11, before a vicious delivery by Ben Stokes found the inside edge and carried through to Jonny Bairstow.
Head and Smith formed a formidable partnership to end the day, but not before Rory Burns missed a direct hit for a run out of Head.
Smith was hit on the helmet by Stokes before bad light allowed England a chance to regroup for tomorrow.
That all came after England nearly wasted the good work on Friday.
Stokes moved from 38 to his 50 fluently, after the hosts began the day on 267-4.
Stokes then wafted off Pat Cummins as the collapse begun.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the edge of Burns for 133, before hitting Ali's off stump in the same over.
The lead was only 16 when Bairstow slashed at Peter Siddle, before Woakes and Broad defended strongly and steadied the ship.
The Hollies Stand cheered as the lead and the partnership score increased, rejoicing when Warner came to field on the boundary and Smith joined the bowling attack.
When Cummins eventually decided to test Broad with a short ball, he scooped into the hands of fine leg, before the hobbling Anderson survived six overs for nine runs before he miscued Lyon to mid-on.
The Ashes Fixtures and Results
1-5 August
First Test, Edgbaston
14-18 August
Second Test, Lord's
22-26 August
Third Test, Headingley
4-8 September
Fourth Test, Old Trafford
12-16 September
Fifth Test, The Oval
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| Photo from BBC |
England find themselves once again facing the near-invincible Steve Smith at the crease as the first Test is delicately poised after day three.
After his 144 in the first innings, former captain Smith ended the day on 46 not out with his side 124-3 with a lead of 34.
Australia were in danger of not needing to make England bat again at 37-2, before Smith added 48 with Usman Khawaja and an unbroken 49 with Travis Head.
David Warner's early dismissal prompted jubilation from the Hollies Stand, not dissimilar to their celebration of the 65-run ninth-wicket stand between Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad earlier in the day.
Woakes made 37 not out and Broad 29 after four wickets had fell for 18 runs, including an 11-ball spell of three wickets for four runs.
As they look to dismiss Australia quickly England are likely to be without their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson, who batted but did not bowl on Saturday because of a calf injury.
Fortunes fluctuated throughout the morning and afternoon, with the batting collapse followed by the Woakes-Broad partnership which saw England take a narrow lead.Smith picked up from where he left off in the first innings, rescuing his team after two early wickets.
The key for England to prosper on Sunday will be to get him out early and hope to limit Australia's total to make the final innings chase easier.
But, if he goes on to make a similar total to that of the first innings, it could put the game beyond England.
England managed to dismiss two of the sandpaper conspirators early, the wickets of Warner and Cameron Bancroft receiving two of the biggest cheers of the day.
Warner was indecisive between playing and leaving off Broad to be caught behind on review, while Bancroft scooped Moeen Ali to short leg not long afterwards.
Khawaja was dropped by Jos Buttler off Ali on 11, before a vicious delivery by Ben Stokes found the inside edge and carried through to Jonny Bairstow.
Head and Smith formed a formidable partnership to end the day, but not before Rory Burns missed a direct hit for a run out of Head.
Smith was hit on the helmet by Stokes before bad light allowed England a chance to regroup for tomorrow.
That all came after England nearly wasted the good work on Friday.
Stokes moved from 38 to his 50 fluently, after the hosts began the day on 267-4.
Stokes then wafted off Pat Cummins as the collapse begun.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the edge of Burns for 133, before hitting Ali's off stump in the same over.
The lead was only 16 when Bairstow slashed at Peter Siddle, before Woakes and Broad defended strongly and steadied the ship.
The Hollies Stand cheered as the lead and the partnership score increased, rejoicing when Warner came to field on the boundary and Smith joined the bowling attack.
When Cummins eventually decided to test Broad with a short ball, he scooped into the hands of fine leg, before the hobbling Anderson survived six overs for nine runs before he miscued Lyon to mid-on.
The Ashes Fixtures and Results
1-5 August
First Test, Edgbaston
14-18 August
Second Test, Lord's
22-26 August
Third Test, Headingley
4-8 September
Fourth Test, Old Trafford
12-16 September
Fifth Test, The Oval
Never miss a post - enter your email address in the box on the right!
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