Another match-turning session with the ball had England in sight of taking the lead in an Ashes series for just the second time in two decades.

The brilliant bowling of Ashley Giles, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff was rewarded with six wickets in the final session, as Australia crashed from solidarity to vulnerability in 170 pulsating minutes.

The collapse was so bad batsman Michael Clarke was summonsed from his hotel room, where he was in bed resting his injured back, and called on to bat, with Matthew Hayden as his runner.

His pain would have worsened with his dismissal, caught at mid-off for seven, just 15 minutes before stumps.

Australia finished the day on 7-210 - still 234 runs behind England's formidable 444.

With its batsmen failing yet again, Australia must again rely on its tailenders to get the side out of strife.

Shane Warne (45 not out) and Jason Gillespie (four not out) will need to aim to score the 35 runs needed to avoid the follow-on.

However, with three days left and with the prospect that England could bat again even if it did bowl Australia out for 244 or less, bad weather, a massive fightback or a combination of both is needed to prevent the tourists slipping to a 2-1 series deficit.

The last time Australia trailed England in an Ashes campaign was after the first match of the 1997 series, but not since the 1985 series has Australia fallen behind from a position of 1-1.

The 1981 series was the last time Australia relinquished an Ashes series lead.

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