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Australia edged closer on Friday to regaining the Ashes, dominating the second day of the third Test after another spectacular English collapse at the crease.

Australia were 119 for one in their second innings at stumps, an overall lead of 148 over the wilting tourists. They lead in the five-Test series 2-0 and can take back the Ashes with a win at Perth’s WACA Ground.

Eager to atone for last year’s defeat, captain Ricky Ponting seemed to have the scent of Ashes success. He was 57 not out, with opener Matthew Hayden emerging from a recent form slump also on 57.

The pair steadied the Australian innings with a century partnership after opener Justin Langer was bowled for a first ball duck by a perfect Matthew Hoggard inswinger on the first ball of the innings.

The English appeared despondent in the field late in a day that had started out with so much promise. They resumed at 51 for two, having dismissed the home side for just 244.

But things went awry almost from the start, with Paul Collingwood falling in the fourth over of the day to spark another collapse.

The English slumped to 128 for seven at one stage before a late rally by Kevin Pietersen (70) and tail-enders Steve Harmison (23) and Monty Panesar (16 not out) enabled them to get to 215.

It was an indictment of the English batsmen that Harmison and Panesar put on the biggest partnership of the innings (40) for the last wicket.

They could have been valuable runs and looked so when Langer fell to Hoggard, but their importance lessened as Ponting and Hayden built their partnership.

The Australian bowlers dominated the England batsmen, despite champion leg-spinner Shane Warne not bowling until well into the day and having little impact.

All five Australian bowlers used had success, but seamer Stuart Clark was again the pick. Clark, who upstaged his more credentialed teammates to claim 3-49, was almost unplayable at times and beat the bat on numerous occasions.

Part-time seamer Andrew Symonds snared 2-8, removing both Andrew Flintoff (13) and the struggling Geraint Jones (duck).

It was another disappointing batting effort by the English, who started the day looking to consolidate on the bowling heroics of Panesar and Harmison on Thursday.

But just like the final day in Adelaide, they collapsed early, this time to a combination of lively bowling on a bouncy pitch and poor shot selection.

After Collingwood was caught in gully by Matthew Hayden from the bowling of Glenn McGrath, wickets fell regularly as the English struggled to put together a significant partnership.

Opener Andrew Strauss was striking the ball sweetly, but on 42 he aimed a drive at the probing Clark and was given out caught behind.

Pietersen held the England innings together and started to strike some lusty blows, but holed out to Symonds at long-off from the bowling of Brett Lee.

Left out of the first two Tests, apparently because of his poor batting and fielding, Panesar looked a compact and well-organised No.11 and struck a couple of glorious boundaries.

Scoreboard

Australia won toss

Australia 1st inns 244 (M E K Hussey 74*; S J Harmison 4-48, M S Panesar 5-92)

England 1st inns (overnight 51-2)

A J Strauss c Gilchrist b Clark 42

A N Cook c Langer b McGrath 15

I R Bell c Gilchrist b Lee 0

P D Collingwood c Hayden b McGrath 11

K P Pietersen c Symonds b Lee 70

*A Flintoff c Warne b Symonds 13

†G O Jones c Langer b Symonds 0

S I Mahmood c Gilchrist b Clark 10

M J Hoggard c Hayden b Warne 4

S J Harmison c Lee b Clark 23

M S Panesar not out 16

Extras (w1, nb10) 11

Total (all out, 64.1 overs) 215

Fall: 1-36, 2-37, 3-55, 4-82, 5-107, 6-114, 7-128, 8-155, 9-175

Bowling: Lee 18-1-69-2 (6nb); McGrath 18-5-48-2 (4nb); Clark 15.1-3-49-3 (1w); Warne 9-0-41-1; Symonds 4-1-8-2

Australia 2nd inns

J L Langer b Hoggard 0

M L Hayden not out 57

*R T Ponting not out 57

Extras (lb4, w1) 5

Total (one wkt, 36 overs) 119

To bat: M E K Hussey, M J Clarke, A Symonds, †A C Gilchrist, S K Warne, B Lee, S R Clark, G D McGrath

Fall: 1-0

Bowling: Hoggard 7-2-21-1; Flintoff 8-1-23-0; Harmison 8-1-30-0; Panesar 10-1-29-0; Mahmood 2-0-12-0 (1w); Pietersen 1-1-0-0

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and R E Koertzen (South Africa). TV umpire: S J Davis. Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand)

Previous matches: November 23-27 1st Test, Australia won by 277 runs. December 1-5 2nd Test, Australia won by 6 wickets

Forthcoming matches: December 26-30 4th Test (Melbourne). January 2-6 5th Test (Sydney)

Source:The News