Eight Australia batsmen were caught in the cordon – all off Broad – and one by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, with Peter Nevill bowled by Steven Finn.

The high point of the England innings was a 173 run fourth wicket stand between Root and Jonny Bairstow (74; 105b, 12×4) that guided the hosts to the drivers’ seat.

Mitchell Starc (6-111) was Australia’s biggest threat on Friday, removing dangerman Root with a full delivery outside off stump.

At lunch, Australia were 14 without loss in their second innings – still 317 runs behind – as England eyed a win that would put them 3-1 up in the five-match series and see them regain the Ashes.

Adam Voges was 48 not out and Mitchell Starc was yet to score when play was halted on day two, with Australia still trailing England by 90 runs.

England were pegged back somewhat during the morning session as Starc produced a fine spell to suggest an Australia fightback could be on the cards.

“I can’t remember the last five day Test“, he added.

Stokes was frustrated not to have polished off the rest of Australia’s second innings with victory so close, but was clear about what England want to achieve.

Steve Smith, the only batsman in the top four to get off the mark, went in the same opening over when Joe Root held onto a catch at third slip.

While England had been nearly flawless on day one, errors began to creep into their play during the afternoon as Warner was dropped twice by Cook and Ian Bell when on 10 and 42 respectively. He gave away his wicket by swiping at a wide delivery by Broad and edging to first slip, a rash shot and a sign of a man bereft of confidence after 104 runs in seven innings in this series.

“Their tail end wagged a bit of Edgbaston so hopefully we can just knock them over and get the game over and done”.

His wicket was soon followed by Mark Wood, who came in as a night watchman, but scored 28.

Josh Hazlewood snared Stokes for five and Johnson removed Moeen Ali for 38 thanks to a superb catch by Smith, only a fine ninth-wicket partnership of 58 between Moeen and Broad saving England from complete collapse.

Shaun Marsh lasted only six balls before he pushed hard at a ball from Stokes outside off and also edged to third slip for a more straightforward snaffle by Root.