(ESPNCRICNFO) – Another brilliant, high-octane spell from Mark Wood cracked open Australia’s second innings after Jonny Bairstow’s blitz continued England’s batting rampage at Old Trafford.

England did all they could to buy themselves enough time to beat a poor weekend weather forecast and level the Ashes series.

After Bairstow’s unbeaten 99, with 50 coming from his last 31 balls, had extended England’s lead to 275, Wood’s pace was again the x-factor in their attack. He had removed Usman Khawaja in his first over before returning deep in the final session to bounce out Steven Smith (claiming him for the second time in the game) for his 100th Test wicket and Travis Head to leave Australia tottering on 108 or 4.

Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh survived through to the close, but it had been a chastening two days for Australia who will need all the help they can get to retain the Ashes here and avoid a decider at The Oval next week, for which they surely wouldn’t be favourites.

Bairstow had been stranded one short of a rollicking century when James Anderson was trapped lbw by Cameron Green to end a barnstorming last-wicket stand of 66 which left Australia ragged and rattled. The ‘big three’ quicks – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – returned a combined economy rate of 5.22 and for just the second time in Tests together all conceded over 100.

In theory, England had two-and-a-half days to make it count after scoring at an eye-watering 5.49 through their 107.4 overs. In reality, though, they looked sure to have far less time than that to secure the win they need to take the series down to the wire and remain on course to be only the second team to come back from 2-0 down to win. The forecast for Saturday remained exceedingly bleak while Sunday was not good – they will hope that, not for the first time, it proves wrong.

England batted longer than many thought likely – they were 189 ahead at lunch and 209 when the ninth wicket fell – but clearly valued as big a lead as possible and with Bairstow carting the ball around the overs were being used effectively. Bowling time, though, will likely be at a premium but the four wickets they have taken means they may not need a huge window in the weather.
They got through Australia’s opening pair either side of tea. Khawaja and David Warner had progressed reasonably comfortably against the new ball before Wood, in his first over, grazed Khawaja’s outside edge. Khawaja went for the DRS after talking to Warner and the spike was confirmed.

Warner fell for another middling score when Chris Woakes claimed him for the second time in the game. After fizzing a delivery past the outside edge, he then had Warner in two minds and he deflected down into his stumps.

Smith came close to falling second ball when he edged Woakes low to Joe Root at first slip. Root did not celebrate the catch at all, but indicated to the umpires he thought it was out and it was sent to the TV official, Kumar Dharmasena. After much rocking and rolling Dharmasena determined that Root had not got his fingers under the ball in what was another borderline decision in a summer where there have been numerous examples.

Smith and Labuschagne worked hard to navigate their way through the final session on a surface showing signs of some variable bounce, which had been on display for Root’s wicket the previous day.

But, once again, Wood made the difference as he got Smith into difficulties with a short ball that he attempted to pull and could only get a glove through to Bairstow. Unsurprisingly, England went at Head with the bouncer straight away and it only took seven deliveries to pay dividends when he fended a glove into the gully, unable to get out of the line.

England had resumed on 384 for 4 after their Zak Crawley-inspired rampage the day before. They did not quite find top gear during the morning session, although these things are all relative and 122 runs still came from 24 overs. Australia delayed taking the second new ball and the softer, older version made strokeplay tougher work.

Stokes had signalled his intent early by charging down and hoicking Starc over midwicket, but he and Harry Brook didn’t completely throw caution to wind. Stokes went to his half-century from 72 balls before playing around a delivery from Cummins to give the forlorn Australia captain his first wicket of the innings.

Brook’s fifty came from 80 deliveries before he fell shortly after Australia opted for the new ball after 90 overs, the first time they had taken it in the series, when he top-edged Josh Hazlewood to long leg. Starc judged the catch expertly near the rope and as he ran in to his team-mates, mimicked scraping it along the ground in reference to his denied catch at Lord’s.

Hazlewood added Woakes (England’s first duck of the series) and Wood before lunch, then claimed what will likely sit among his least-decorated five-wicket hauls when Stuart Broad skied a return catch.