An Andrew Flintoff-inspired England was on the brink of levelling the Ashes series against Australia at 1-1 after another extraordinary day in the second cricket Test at Edgbaston.

Flintoff bludgeoned 73 to lift the home side to 182 in its second innings and a lead of 281, before he took 3-34 in the final session to have Australia on the ropes.

Australia was 8-175 at stumps on day three, needing a miracle to score another 107 runs with only the tailenders left.

Fast bowler Steve Harmison bowled Michael Clarke (30) in the final over to put the home side in the box seat.

England should earn just its second victory in a live Ashes Test since 1986-87 - and its first since the opening match of the 1997 series - to keep alive its dream of snapping Australia's 16-year hold of the famous urn.

In another dramatic day, Australian legspinner Shane Warne took 6-46 and Test wicket No.599 and England paceman Simon Jones was warned for giving Matthew Hayden a send-off.

But the day belonged to Flintoff.

The 28-year-old came to the crease at 5-72 before he was last man out for 73, having struck four sixes and put on 51 runs with Jones for the last wicket.

Not content with that effort, Flintoff bowled Justin Langer (28) off his second ball and then capped a memorable over by inducing an edge from Ricky Ponting (duck) to kickstart a string of wickets that sent the raucous Edgbaston crowd into delirium.

Langer's dismissal gave Flintoff three wickets in four balls across two innings, as he took two wickets off the final two deliveries in Australia's first dig.

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