Ashes 2015: England dominate Australia on day three in Cardiff

England hammered home their advantage over Australia in the first Test on a fast-moving third day to put themselves in pole position to take the lead in the Ashes.

The hosts claimed Australia’s last five wickets for 44 runs on Friday morning to bowl them out for 308 and secure a first-innings lead of 122.

Ian Bell and Joe Root both scored 60 and Ben Stokes 42 as England surged further ahead in the afternoon session to the delight of a buoyant Cardiff crowd.

And although wickets fell regularly in a frenetic finale, Mark Wood’s unbeaten 32 helped England reach 289 all out to set Australia an improbable 412 to win.

Only two teams in Test history have successfully chased that many runs, with Australia’s best effort the 404-3 by Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ at Headingley in 1948.

England set the tone for a near-perfect day with an electric performance on the third morning, executing their plans to perfection to finish off the Australia innings.

Shane Watson’s vulnerability to lbws was brilliantly exploited as Stuart Broad dismissed him for 30 in the second over of the day before Wood pinned Nathan Lyon in front of his stumps.

James Anderson found swing with the new ball to induce edges from Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc, with Broad removing Mitchell Johnson in between.

In little more than an hour, England had advanced from a position of relative strength to one of total control.