England were just 12 runs in front of Australia with five wickets left in their second innings as the spectre of an Ashes whitewash loomed large in the fifth Test at Sydney on Thursday.
Shane Warne was the man again, top-scoring with the bat and then grabbing the big wicket of skipper Andrew Flintoff just before stumps.
The tourists let slip another opportunity as the Australians surged to a 102-run first innings lead and then bowled themselves into a winning position by the end of the third day.
At the close, England were 114 for five and facing likely defeat on Friday's fourth day with remaining batting hope Kevin Pietersen not out on 29 and nightwatchman Monty Panesar yet to score.
England were sickened minutes before stumps when Flintoff was out stumped off Warne for seven after adjudication by the video umpire in a tight decision.
"If we can win tomorrow and go five-nil up and whitewash this series that is a fantastic achievement by a wonderful cricket team," Warne said.
"This is as good cricket as Australia has played since I've been playing and as a group we've bowled exceptionally well through the summer.
"We've played exceptional cricket and when the big moments have been there someone has put their hand up. We haven't made those mistakes when we've been in trouble and that's all credit to the Australian team more than England playing poorly."
England are holding out for a miracle to prevent what appears to be an inevitable Australian victory and series clean sweep.
"Obviously, we need to put up a good fight tomorrow. We need to battle hard and have our tail wag," fast bowler James Anderson said.
"If Kevin (Pietersen) stays there for a while then hopefully we can get a reasonable total and have something to bowl at. There's always hope."
Warne earlier blasted 71 off 65 balls as Australia scored 205 runs on the third day after resuming on an overnight 188 for four to finish on
393 and again frustrate England's efforts.
England were under pressure from the third over of their second innings with Alastair Cook out for four, top-edging a pull shot off Brett Lee to Adam Gilchrist.
Two balls later Andrew Strauss was struck a thudding blow on the side of his helmet from a short-pitched Lee delivery, but continued batting. He was later cleared by hospital scans.
Strauss completed a poor series when he fell leg before wicket to Stuart Clark for 24 to finish with 247 runs and a series average of 24.7.
Ian Bell's concentration lapsed after 85 minutes when he flashed at a Lee delivery well outside off-stump to be caught behind for 28.
Paul Collingwood was caught by a diving Matthew Hayden in the gully off Clark for 17 and Flintoff continued the tourists' woes with his late dismissal.
Earlier, Warne thrilled the crowd in his farewell Test with an exhilarating knock, which only ended when he was stumped off spinner Panesar.
Warne was rapturously acclaimed after he crashed nine fours and two sixes to lift Australia
into a powerful position to complete the first Ashes series whitewash in 86 years.
Warne had immediately declared his intentions, with a four and a six over mid-wicket off Panesar, and looked at one stage as though he might achieve his elusive Test century, only to go down with all guns blazing.
Two umpiring decisions marred the opening session, with Adam Gilchrist, in full cry, given out by umpire Billy Bowden for 62.
Bowden's howler was roundly booed by the Australian supporters in the capacity SCG crowd after television replays showed that Gilchrist's bat had missed a wide delivery from Anderson before wicketkeeper Read appealed for a catch.
England may have felt the Bowden blunder partly made up for the other umpire, Aleem Dar, not giving Warne out on 10, caught behind off Panesar.
Panesar whooped down the pitch to celebrate but umpire Dar was unmoved. Replays appeared to show that Warne had gloved the ball to Read.
Yet again Australia's tail wagged furiously as England failed to deliver the knockout blow and the last four wickets added 133 runs.
Gilchrist and Warne put on 58 runs off just 44 balls, while Warne and Stuart Clark added 68 off 72 balls in partnerships containing some sizzling hitting.
Symonds was dismissed within sight of his half-century, attempting to slog spinner Panesar, who tossed one up and bowled him off-stump for 48.
Mike Hussey was out in the second over of the day, beaten by Anderson's swing and movement off the pitch, to be caught behind on his overnight score of 37.
Read finished with six dismissals for the innings, replicating his performance in Australia's only innings in Melbourne, making it 12 dismissals since he replaced Geraint Jones for last week's fourth Test.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard at close of play on the third day of the fifth and final Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday:
ENGLAND: First innings 291 (Flintoff 89, Bell 71; Clark 3-62, McGrath 3-67, Lee 3-75)
AUSTRALIA: First innings (overnight 188-4) Langer c Read b Anderson 26
Hayden c Collingwood b Harmison 33
Ponting run out (Anderson) 45
Hussey c Read b Anderson 37
Clarke c Read b Harmison 11
Symonds b Panesar 48
Gilchrist c Read b Anderson 62
Warne st Read b Panesar 71
Lee c Read b Flintoff 5
Clark c Pietersen b Mahmood 35 McGrath not out 0
Extras: (lb-10, w-4, nb-6) 20
Total: (All out in 96.3 overs) 393 Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-100, 3-118, 4-155, 5-190, 6-260, 7-318, 8-325, 9-393
Bowler O M R W
Flintoff 17 2 56 1
Anderson 26 8 98 3
Harmison 23 5 80 2
Mahmood 11 1 59 1
Panesar 19.3 0 90 2
ENGLAND: Second innings
Strauss lbw b Clark 24
Cook c Gilchrist b Lee 4
Bell c Gilchrist b Lee 28
Pietersen not out 29
Collingwood c Hayden b Clark 17 Flintoff st Gilchrist b Warne 7
Panesar not out 0
Extras: (lb-2, w-1, nb-2) 5
Total: (For 5 wktsin 43 overs) 114 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-55, 3-64, 4-98, 5-113
Bowler O M R W
Lee 10 3 34 2
McGrath 13 7 22 0
Clark 12 4 29 2
Warne 3 0 14 1
Symonds 5 2 13 0