Shane Warne ripped out England's top order to leave Australia with the upper hand despite a fine 129 from Andrew Strauss on an absorbing first day of the fifth and final Test on Thursday.
Leg spinner Warne induced a string of errors from the home batsmen to leave England on 319 for seven at The Oval on Thursday, completing figures of five for 118 from 34 overs to raise his tally to 33 wickets in the series.
Australia, 2-1 behind, can retain the Ashes with victory at The Oval. The world champions have won the last eight series between the sides, dating back to 1989.
Strauss recorded his seventh Test century and his second of the series, putting on 82 with Marcus Trescothick for the first wicket and 143 with all rounder Andrew Flintoff for the fifth.
England, having beefed up their batting at the expense of their bowling, opted to bat on a perfect strip and looked well-placed before Warne produced a 38-ball burst either side of lunch to take four wickets for 16.
The home side, hoping for a massive first-innings total to bat Australia out of the game and the series, slumped to 131 for four.
Strauss and Flintoff then rebuilt the innings, taking the score to 274 for four, before the wickets began to fall again. Flintoff made 72 and Warne completed his day's destruction by removing Strauss as the shadows lengthened across the sun-drenched, packed ground.
Warne has had a psychological hold over English batsmen since his triumphant 1993 series in England, when he took 34 wickets in six tests.
He has carried the Australian bowling attack throughout the series and was asked to do so again, responding with a marathon 18-over spell spanning lunch and later adding 16 more off the reel.
England, having opted for an extra batsman in Paul Collingwood to replace injured fast bowler Simon Jones, did not help themselves.
INCREASINGLY COMFORTABLE
Fast bowlers Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait were all hit out of the attack, with Trescothick looking increasingly comfortable in compiling 43 including eight fours.
He dabbed without conviction at Warne, however, and edged to slip where Matthew Hayden took a fine catch at ankle height.
England captain Michael Vaughan was particularly culpable with a lazy clip to mid-wicket for 11 and Ian Bell departed for a duck, lbw as he pushed forward through a thicket of close fielders.
At 115 for three at lunch, England were kicking themselves. At 131 for four, they probably felt like kicking Kevin Pietersen, who played across a gentle Warne leg spinner and was bowled for 14.
The biggest English cheers were reserved for Strauss and Flintoff.
Flintoff led the way with three consecutive fours off Warne, the first two slapped to backward square leg and the next hammered past the bowler, to get to his half-century.
Strauss, having reached 97 with a square cut, then fizzed a Lee half-volley through mid-wicket to begin his celebrations.
His stand with Flintoff ended when the big all rounder, having lifted Warne over long on for the only six of the day, played a tired shot off the back foot at McGrath and sent the ball into Warne's hands at slip.
Flintoff hit 12 fours and a six during his 114-ball stay.
Collingwood managed seven, perhaps unfortunate to fall lbw to a Tait yorker, before Strauss prodded forward tiredly at Warne and was superbly caught by a diving Simon Katich at silly mid-off. The opener hit 17 fours.
Geraint Jones (21 not out) and Ashley Giles (five) took England through to the close without further loss, surviving two overs with the second new ball in the process.
