Australia Extend Lead to 369 Runs in 3rd Test
David Warner put Australia into prime position to reclaim the Ashes in the third test, making England pay dearly for its missed opportunities as he helped increase the lead to 369 runs with a rapid century on Sunday.
Warner clubbed 12 boundaries and two sixes, surviving stumping opportunities on 13 and 89, and sharing a 157-run opening stand with Chris Rogers (54) before lofting Graeme Swann to Ben Stokes at long-on, out for 112.
The England attack sorely missed leading paceman Stuart Broad, who went for scans after being hit on the right foot as he was trapped lbw by Mitchell Johnson in the morning session and didn't return to the field.
At stumps on day three, the Australians were 235-3 with Shane Watson on 29 and Steve Smith on five.
Earlier, the fast bowlers made short work of England's last six wickets and Warner piled on the misery as Australia extended its lead to 257 runs at tea on day three of the third Ashes test.
Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle took three wickets apiece as England was bundled out for 251 after resuming Sunday at 180-4, giving Australia a 134-run first innings buffer.
Warner (81 not out) and Chris Rogers (42 not out) then put on the biggest opening stand of the series to reach tea at 123-0.
Another England batting failure was compounded by a foot injury to Stuart Broad that kept the fast bowler off the field in the middle session, a missed stumping chance when Warner was 13 and a dropped catch when Rogers was 26.
After big wins in the first two tests, Australia is in a prime position to reclaim the Ashes with another win in Perth.
Momentum on the middle day was with the Australians from the third over when they challenged a not-out decision for lbw against Ian Bell (15) and got it overturned. Matt Prior's bad day started with an irresponsible dismissal during an England batting collapse.
Prior missed a stumping when Warner, on 13 with the total at 23, was stranded outside the crease after advancing against Graeme Swann. Rogers was on 26 and Australia on 89 when he edged Jimmy Anderson and Alastair Cook dropped a right-handed catch diving across toward Prior.
The Australians otherwise dominated the session unscathed after six wickets fell in the morning on another scorching day in Perth, with temperatures nudging 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Harris (3-48), Siddle (3-36) and Johnson (2-62) ripped through the England tailenders as cracks opened up on the WACA pitch.
Bell started with some intent, cutting and glancing boundaries in the first over from Harris.
The 34-year-old Australian paceman struck an early blow, though, when he hit Bell on the knee roll with the total at 190. Umpire Marais Erasmus' not out decision was overruled with tracking technology showing the ball would have hit the top of the middle stump.
Johnson got his first wicket of the test, and 18th in the series, when he had Ben Stokes (18) caught behind two deliveries after the ball hit a crack in the pitch and deviated to first slip. That seemed to stun the England batsmen as they slipped to 198-6.
England passed 200 for only the second time in the series before vice-captain Prior (8) picked the wrong ball from Siddle to pull and bottom-edged a simple catch to Brad Haddin.
Johnson got an lbw decision against Broad (5), hitting him on the foot and sending him off to the hospital for scans, and Tim Bresnan played defiantly for 21 before he was caught behind off Harris. Swann was unbeaten 19 when he ran out of partners.
The England innings started promisingly on Saturday, with Cook (72) and Michael Carberry (43) sharing an 85-run opening partnership. But Australia struck back with some sustained, disciplined bowling and a contentious DRS dismissal late on the second day.
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