Australia are four wickets away from retaining the Ashes after Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon tore apart England’s last-ditch resistance in the third Test.
Needing to pull off a world-record fourth-innings chase of 435 to stay in the series, England went to stumps on day four at 207 for 6 and still requiring 228 runs to win.
At one stage it looked as if the game could be over on Saturday evening, before Jamie Smith (11 not out) and Will Jacks (2 not out) did enough to push it to a fifth day.
And while that has denied Australia the quickest retention of the urn in more than century after just 10 days of cricket, Sunday now appears a mere formality.
After England took 6 for 76 on Saturday morning to have Australia out for 349, England still faced an uphill battle.
Requiring a world-record chase in order to stay in the series, England lost Ben Duckett in the second over when Cummins (3 for 24) had him caught at slip.
The opener’s dismissal summed up a horror tour for the left-hander, who is yet to pass 30 and has quickly been exposed by his refusal to leave the ball.
Ollie Pope is having a worse tour, with his misery compounded by a superb one-handed grab by Labuschagne at slip after an edge off Cummins.
And while Joe Root led a brief fightback alongside Zak Crawley, Cummins eventually had his number for a 13th time in Test cricket after tea.
Playing his first Test since July, and after taking 3 for 69 in the first innings on return from back pain, Cummins moved the ball just enough to have him caught behind.
Then it was time for Lyon (3 for 62) to take over. He first bowled a reverse-sweeping Harry Brook for 30, ending a 68-run fourth-wicket stand with Crawley that had appeared England’s last resistance.
Brook had successfully employed the tactic of reversing both Lyon and Travis Head, but this one held up a bit off the pitch and turned a long way.
The right-hander then spent an age standing at the crease before walking off, with the reality of England’s plight perhaps sinking in.
Stokes followed for five, when a big ripping ball pitched on leg and took the top of the left-hander’s off stump.
And when Lyon drew Crawley forward in flight and had him stumped for 85, even the most one-eyed England fan must have stopped believing.
Some rain is forecast for parts of Sunday, but even if that was to ruin day five a draw would be enough for Australia to retain the urn.
Ali Martin’s full report to follow…
