Warne onslaught stuns England

Shane Warne delivered a potentially decisive contribution with the bat to keep Australia on course for an historic Ashes whitewash in the final Test, before England finished on 114 for five at the close - with a lead of just 12 runs.

The legendary leg-spinner has ensured his place in cricket's folklore through his feats with the ball, but in his farewell Test he played a key role in establishing a crucial first-innings lead just as England seemed set to secure an advantage of their own.

Warne hammered 71 off 65 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, and helped Australia add a crucial 75 for the final two wickets after they had resumed the third day 103 runs adrift on 188 for four and lost Mike Hussey in the second over of the day.

He dominated a 44-ball 58-run stand with Adam Gilchrist and a further 68-run partnership with Stuart Clark, got involved in a sledging battle with close fielder Paul Collingwood and then pounced to claim the crucial wicket of England captain Andrew Flintoff just before the close.

His determined efforts switched momentum so effectively to put Australia in sight of only the second Ashes whitewash in history following the 5-0 in 1920-21.

England had been given a flying start with seamer James Anderson inducing Hussey into edging behind off the eighth delivery of the day to boost their hopes of securing a priceless lead.

But an unusually cautious Andrew Symonds teamed up in a 70-run stand with hard-hitting Gilchrist to stabilise the innings and set the platform for Warne's later strokeplay.

Gilchrist set the tone with the first of eight boundaries off Anderson in only his second over at the crease and never looked back during a superb innings of 62 off 71 balls.

He did enjoy his share of good of good fortune, though, and was dropped on 22 by Anderson at short extra cover after he attempted to drive Steve Harmison on the up and then hooked just short of Kevin Pietersen on the midwicket boundary off Sajid Mahmood on 48.

His attacking display took Australia past England's first-innings total of 291 but Symonds fell when he was bowled attempting a big swing facing left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.