Steve Smith made his combined highest score in a Test match, hitting 144 and 142 in each innings as England are left hoping for at least a draw.
England - 374 & 13-0 / 284 & 487-7 dec - Australia
England face a huge battle to save the first Test on the final day after a second century by Steve Smith in the match leaves the visitors clear favourites.
In his first Test since the ball-tampering scandal, former captain Smith made 142 in addition to his 144 on day one, while Matthew Wade chipped in with 110 as Australia moved from their overnight score of 124-3 to 487-7.
They then declared setting England an impossible 398 to win, which openers Rory Burns and Jason Roy had seven overs to chip away at, finishing the day on 13-0.
England will need to bat out the final day if they are to avoid losing a Test at Edgbaston in 11 years.
If the high total wasn't enough in Australia's favour, the pitch will certainly provide assistance to off-spinner Nathan Lyon who instantly proved to be more threatening than England's Moeen Ali when he opened the bowling.
Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes did the donkey work with the ball for England, with the part-time spinners expensive and James Anderson still out with his calf injury.
In terms of team strength, you could argue that Smith's hundreds were made easier by not having to face a ball off England's leading Test wicket-taker Anderson, but it is still one of the best batting performances across both innings of any Test match.
Coming in at 17-2 and 27-2 in each innings, he frustrated England by grinding out the runs, fidgeting along the way and picking the perfect shot allowing him to put the ball where he liked.
He silenced the previously rapturous Edgbaston crowd with his sixth hundred in seven Ashes Tests, and the Barmy Army and England's players will surely already be sick of the sight of him occupying the crease.
Beginning the day on 46, the third wicket stand was extended to 130 with Travis Head before 126 with Wade.
The closest England got to his dismissal was a miscued drive on 51, before a missed run-out attempt would have seen him out on 133.
Smith, in the 140s again, played a wild drive off Woakes to be caught behind, with boos and applause in equal measure as he returned to the pavilion.
Head moved seamlessly from 21 to 51, but when he played a loose slash at Stokes, Australia's lead stood at 115 and England had hope.
That was soon snatched away by Wade - playing in his first Test in almost two years - who drove through the covers and clipped off his toes.
Another umpiring error led to him given lbw off Broad on 69, but that decision was overturned on review as he went on to make his third Test century and his first for more than six years with a reverse sweep off Joe Root's off-spin.
Wade and his captain Tim Paine fell in the space of nine deliveries, but Paine's 34 took Australia past 400.
England have been severely sub-par without Anderson, even if it was poor judgement to pick him in the first place given his injury just a month ago.
Given that the pitch offered nothing to Broad and Stokes, with Woakes' lack of overs, it was time for Ali - the leading wicket-taker in Tests in the past year - to step up.
Not only was he unable to make the breakthrough, he was expensive at nearly 4.5 an over, with only one maiden in 29.
Root brought himself and leg-spinner Joe Denly into the attack, who weren't any more economical.
Burns and Roy negotiated the 42 deliveries well, surviving against Lyon unscathed, by the end of which the Hollies stand were louder than they had been all day.
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 The Australian |
England face a huge battle to save the first Test on the final day after a second century by Steve Smith in the match leaves the visitors clear favourites.
In his first Test since the ball-tampering scandal, former captain Smith made 142 in addition to his 144 on day one, while Matthew Wade chipped in with 110 as Australia moved from their overnight score of 124-3 to 487-7.
They then declared setting England an impossible 398 to win, which openers Rory Burns and Jason Roy had seven overs to chip away at, finishing the day on 13-0.
England will need to bat out the final day if they are to avoid losing a Test at Edgbaston in 11 years.
If the high total wasn't enough in Australia's favour, the pitch will certainly provide assistance to off-spinner Nathan Lyon who instantly proved to be more threatening than England's Moeen Ali when he opened the bowling.
Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes did the donkey work with the ball for England, with the part-time spinners expensive and James Anderson still out with his calf injury.
In terms of team strength, you could argue that Smith's hundreds were made easier by not having to face a ball off England's leading Test wicket-taker Anderson, but it is still one of the best batting performances across both innings of any Test match.
Coming in at 17-2 and 27-2 in each innings, he frustrated England by grinding out the runs, fidgeting along the way and picking the perfect shot allowing him to put the ball where he liked.
He silenced the previously rapturous Edgbaston crowd with his sixth hundred in seven Ashes Tests, and the Barmy Army and England's players will surely already be sick of the sight of him occupying the crease.
Beginning the day on 46, the third wicket stand was extended to 130 with Travis Head before 126 with Wade.
The closest England got to his dismissal was a miscued drive on 51, before a missed run-out attempt would have seen him out on 133.
Smith, in the 140s again, played a wild drive off Woakes to be caught behind, with boos and applause in equal measure as he returned to the pavilion.
Head moved seamlessly from 21 to 51, but when he played a loose slash at Stokes, Australia's lead stood at 115 and England had hope.
That was soon snatched away by Wade - playing in his first Test in almost two years - who drove through the covers and clipped off his toes.
Another umpiring error led to him given lbw off Broad on 69, but that decision was overturned on review as he went on to make his third Test century and his first for more than six years with a reverse sweep off Joe Root's off-spin.
Wade and his captain Tim Paine fell in the space of nine deliveries, but Paine's 34 took Australia past 400.
England have been severely sub-par without Anderson, even if it was poor judgement to pick him in the first place given his injury just a month ago.
Given that the pitch offered nothing to Broad and Stokes, with Woakes' lack of overs, it was time for Ali - the leading wicket-taker in Tests in the past year - to step up.
Not only was he unable to make the breakthrough, he was expensive at nearly 4.5 an over, with only one maiden in 29.
Root brought himself and leg-spinner Joe Denly into the attack, who weren't any more economical.
Burns and Roy negotiated the 42 deliveries well, surviving against Lyon unscathed, by the end of which the Hollies stand were louder than they had been all day.
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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