After Chris Rogers (52) and David Warner (64) briefly threatened an Australian fightback with a 113-run opening partnership, Ben Stokes produced some magnificent swing bowling either side of tea to reduce the tourists to 241-7, still 90 runs behind England.
Adam Voges will resume unbeaten on 48, but it is surely only a matter of time before England wrap up the series by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match to play.
An England victory would avenge the 5-0 whitewash down under in 2013-14 and extend Australia's winless run on UK soil to four Test series.
