England has erased its 102-run first-innings deficit late on day three of the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG, but Australia is poised for a 5-0 series whitewash, possibly as early as Friday.
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Stuart Clark has 2-29 from 12 overs and 26 wickets overall for the series, Brett Lee 2-34 from 10 and Shane Warne 1-14 from three, with the tourists struggling on 5-114 after Australia had earlier replied to their first-innings 291 with 393.
Kevin Pietersen (29no) and surprise nightwatchman Monty Panesar (0no) were unbeaten, but Pietersen and the lower order have it all ahead of them on day four if they are to set the home side a challenging target and prevent the first Ashes sweep in 86 years.
Earlier, Warne made 71 from 65 balls with nine fours and two sixes in his farewell match in front of 41,533 fans, the innings his best in Tests in Sydney as he surpassed his previous high of 37 against South Africa five years ago.
Warne also shared valuable stands of 58 with Adam Gilchrist (62) and 68 with Clark (35) to push the lead beyond three figures, after Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds (48) had put on 70 for the sixth wicket.
The home side was eventually dismissed when Warne charged Panesar (2-90 from 20 overs) and was stumped, leaving Glenn McGrath (0) unbeaten, while Mike Hussey (37) and Lee (four) were the other batsmen dismissed on the day.
Jimmy Anderson led the way for England with 3-98 from 26 overs and Andrew Flintoff (1-56 from 17) and Sajid Mahmood (1-59 from 11) were also successful, while Steve Harmison (2-80 from 23) failed to recapture the fire from day two.
Alastair Cook (four) was the first to fall in the England second innings when he top-edged Lee in the third over and was caught behind, and two balls later Andrew Strauss (24) ducked into a Lee no-ball.
The opener managed to play on, but after being trapped in front by Clark he was taken to hospital for precautionary scans that gave him the all-clear.
The tourists lost their third wicket when Ian Bell (28) drove hard at a wide ball from Lee but only edged behind to Gilchrist and leave the score at 3-64.
A patient 67-minute innings from Collingwood (17) came to an end when he miscued a drive and was brilliantly caught by a diving Matthew Hayden in the gully off Clark, before Warne struck a mortal blow when he had Flintoff (seven) narrowly stumped.
Having played and missed to Anderson several times in the final hour of day two, Hussey got one that left him late and feathered an edge that was well taken down low by a diving Chris Read in the second over of the day.
After showing plenty of composure for nearly 90 minutes a week after his maiden Test century in Melbourne, Symonds tried to smash Panesar but was beaten in the flight and bowled with the score on 260.
Warne signalled his intent as soon as he arrived with a four and a six from Panesar before surviving a confident shout for a catch behind last ball of the same eventful over that saw Symonds out, and the champion spinner was close to being run out twice also.
Gilchrist brought up his 50 in 59 balls and then later registered 10,000 first-class career runs but his 44-ball stand with Warne came to an end when he chased a wide ball from Anderson and was given out caught behind.
Lee fell to Flintoff without addition to the lunch score of 325, giving Read his fifth catch, but Warne and Clark pushed the lead to three figures before Clark top-edged a pull shot and was out for his second-highest Test score.
