Australia need five more wickets to level the Ashes series after Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus went through England's top order to build on Marcus North's century by stumps yesterday on the second day of the fourth Test.
England lost 5-20 in 44 balls during the final session at Headingley to stagger to 82-5 at the close, still trailing by 261.
Johnson took 3-21 and Hilfenhaus 2-37 after North had scored 110 for his third hundred in only his sixth Test.
England, dismissed for a below-par 102 Friday before bowling Australia out for 445, are now left with an almost impossible task to survive the last three days and hold on to their 1-0 lead in the five-match series as they bid to reclaim the Ashes urn.
Strauss out lbw
England had batted well to get to 58-0 before captain Andrew Strauss was out lbw to Hilfenhaus for 32 and Ravi Bopara departed the same way next ball without scoring in the 23rd over.
Three overs later, Ian Bell was caught for three by Ricky Ponting at second slip off Johnson to make it 67-3. Paul Collingwood was lbw for 4 to an in-swinger from Johnson seven runs later, and Alastair Cook on 30 edged Johnson to the wicketkeeper and it was 78-5.
James Anderson was yet to score and Matt Prior had 4 - and was dropped on the day's last ball by North at third slip off Johnson.
Bopara's top score in the series is 35 from seven innings and his place for the fifth Test from August 20 must now be in question, despite appearing to get an inside edge to the ball and also having scored three straight centuries against West Indies this year.
Whereas Australia have made batting conditions appear easy, England struggled again in sunny conditions.
Six over midwicket
North, who also scored 96 in the last Test, brought his 100 up with a six over midwicket from off-spinner Graeme Swann. He hit 13 fours in 206 balls and batted for 326 minutes.
North, who came in at 151-4 when the match was still in the balance, extended Australia's lead with a fifth-wicket partnership of 152 with Michael Clarke (93). He then put on 70 from 98 balls with No. 8 Mitchell Johnson, who scored 27.
Clarke missed out on a third century in as many Tests when he was trapped lbw by Graham Onions before lunch. He now has 445 runs in the series at an average of 89.
Australia's vice-captain batted for 138 deliveries and hit 13 fours. He made 103 not out at Edgbaston in the third Test when he and North combined to save the match, 136 in the second match at Lord's and 83 at Cardiff in the first Test.
Clarke was untroubled for most of the morning, though a leading edge off Onions when on 92 landed just short of mid-off after he tried to flick the ball to midwicket.
He also edged James Anderson through the vacant third slip area when on 52, but for much of the morning he dominated, driving through cover especially well.