England was 411 runs ahead in the first Ashes Test at stumps on day three Friday, a lead auspicious for the host and ominous for Australia.
The day finished with the English all out for 289 under floodlights at Sophia Gardens, on top of an eye-opening 122-run lead on the first innings after Australia collapsed in the morning to be all out for 308.
In a test edged by the English over the first two days, they finally achieved separation on a remarkable third morning, when Australia withered in the face of outstanding bowling by the pacemen and was all out for 308.
Australia began day three needing to score big. It didn't happen. Then it needed to take wickets, rather quickly, and that didn't happen either.
The day began horribly for the visitors, as England took 5-44 in less than 15 overs to dismiss them.
Bolstered by a first-innings lead in an Ashes opener for the first time since 1997 at Edgbaston, 10 series ago, England piled on the misery in two big, rapid-fire partnerships involving Ian Bell, the last person anybody expected to play a starring role.
Bell, averaging six in his last nine innings, including 1 in the first here, rediscovered his touch to score 60.
He shared 51 runs with opener Adam Lyth (37), and 97 runs with Joe Root (60) to lead England almost to a lead of 300 after tea.
Through it all, the sun-drenched English in the capacity crowd celebrated their team on top with songs and chants.
It took until only the second over of the day for England to spike the Australians, when Shane Watson, their last recognized batsman, was lbw for a sixth time to Stuart Broad. Umpire Marias Erasmus took a long time to raise his finger, and Watson inevitably asked for a video review, which confirmed his leg stump was clipped.
Watson added only four to his 26 overnight, and triggered a stunning collapse from 265-6.
Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (6) was caught plumb by Mark Wood, and in successive overs went wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (22), Mitchell Johnson (14), and Mitchell Starc (0).
All four England bowlers, plus allrounder Ben Stokes, shared in the wickets with James Anderson taking 3-43 and producing remarkable movement with the second new ball.
When Gary Ballance was out for a duck straight after lunch, Bell joined opener Adam Lyth with England on 22-2.
They suddenly tore into Australia, hitting 41 runs, including seven boundaries, in four overs off Josh Hazlewood and Starc. The surge was the last thing Australia needed, and both fast bowlers were replaced at the same time.
The double change worked. Offspinner Lyon had Lyth out for 37, the thick edge forcing Michael Clarke back to his left to make a great, diving, one-handed catch.
Since his century in the first innings of the first test against the West Indies in mid-April, Bell's scoring had suddenly dried up. But his confidence didn't appear to have deserted him, and his 10th boundary brought up his 16th Ashes half-century.
The wheels fell off the England train after that, apart from entertaining cameos by Moeen Ali and Wood, 32 off 26 balls, to help push England's lead past 400 into rarefied Ashes air.
Brief Scores
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