Glenn McGrath's two wickets in the third-last over of the fourth day have all but ensured an Australian victory in the third Ashes Test in Perth, despite England opener Alastair Cook's first Ashes century.
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Cook's defiant knock of 116 came to an end when he edged through to Adam Gilchrist on the second ball of the 94th over of England's second innings, and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard was clean-bowled by McGrath (2-50) two deliveries later as England finished 5-265.
Kevin Pietersen (37 not out) and England skipper Andrew Flintoff (two not out) will take the fight up to Australia on Monday morning.
But with England still 291 runs behind, Australia (244 and 5-527 declared) remains on target to take an unassailable 3-0 series lead and regain the urn it lost at The Oval in London last year.
After Ian Bell had earlier compiled 87 before he became Shane Warne's 696th Test victim, Cook brought his century up in the 81st over of England's second innings.
Cook's fourth ton was hard-earned, the batsman who turns 22 on the eve of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne having to endure what seemed like a day's worth of emphatic appeals for bat-pad and lbw from a frustrated Warne.
He struck nine boundaries and provided the backbone for a 170-run stand with Bell - which was a second-wicket partnership record for England at the WACA Ground - after the pair were united at the crease following Andrew Strauss' lbw duck to Brett Lee late on Saturday.
Bell's half-century was his third of the series, having made 50 in Adelaide and 60 in Brisbane.
Earlier, the pair resumed on day four with England at 1-19, and an Australian attack possessing second-innings specialist Warne (1-100) was expected to wrap up the match before the close of play.
But Bell and Cook displayed great resolve in their record partnership, as Stuart Clark (1-31), Lee (1-49) and McGrath all struggled to create chances for Australia despite bowling tight lines.
Andrew Symonds (0-28 off nine overs), bowling off-spinners this innings after taking two wickets with his medium-pace in England's first dig, failed to trouble the England batsmen.
Warne started the fourth day seeking five wickets to reach the 700-mark for his career, and generated plenty of turn on Sunday. But Bell in particular took to him, the Englishman hitting a four and six in each of Warne's first and seventh overs of the day.
Bell offered a sharp chance to Gilchrist off Lee's bowling when on 75 which went past the keeper's gloves for four, but other than that, he was well on top of the Australian attack prior to his dismissal.
But Warne robbed Bell of a ton when the diminutive first-drop drove a ball straight to Justin Langer at short mid-off during the middle session.
Clark claimed the first wicket in Sunday's final session, drawing an edge from Paul Collingwood's bat through to Gilchrist when the No.4 was on five to reduce England to 3-185.
The fourth day saw 21,522 fans flock to the WACA Ground, bringing the running total over the first four days to 91,124 - smashing the previous record of 84,142 at the venue set over five days back in 1970 during the inaugural Test match between Australia and England in Perth.
The Perth forecast for Monday includes the warning of showers and thunderstorms.
