Australia moved one step closer to a series victory over England tonight when Jhye Richardson's five-wicket effort had the tourists clutching in the dark as twilight fell in the Adelaide day-night test.
Richardson sealed the win with figures of 5-42 when Cameron Green took a fine slip catch to remove James Anderson.
The win gives the home side a 2-0 series lead with three tests still to be played, anda grim journey to the Melbourne Cricket Ground looming for their next outing in the Boxing Day test.
The task ahead for the tourists is huge — only once before have the Ashes been won by a side that went two down.
England will take comfort from the flickers of resolve their middle order mustered in the final day at Adelaide, with Jos Buttler holding out for a begrudging 26 off 207 deliveries before unluckily falling hit wicket as one of Richardson's scalps.
Fortune had earlier been in Buttler's favour. When facing his first ball, he offered a chance that was declined by both slip and wicketkeeper. Ben Stokes had been similarly patient in compiling 12 from 77 and captain Joe Root was in no rush for his 24 from 67.
Chris Woakes (44 from 97) showed resolve before his name was also added to Richardson's list — his 31-over, 61-run partnership with Buttler pulled some momentum his side's way. But England's thin chance of holding out for a draw fell when Buttler was removed.
Set 486 runs to win at the Adelaide Oval, England were 142-6 after the opening session. The visitors resumed on 82-4 but it took just 15 balls for the first crack to appear when Mitchell Starc removed Ollie Pope (4), who edged to Steve Smith at second slip.
Starc (2-33) should have claimed another wicket in his next over but a blunder from wicketkeeper Alex Carey allowed Buttler to narrowly avoid making a pair of ducks in the match.
Buttler edged behind but Carey failed to move for the catch and the ball sailed between him and David Warner at first slip.
Some 10 overs later, spinner Nathan Lyon (1-48) ended the resistance of Stokes, who — on the 54th ball he faced from Lyon — was trapped lbw when Australia reviewed the initial not out verdict.
Stokes' dismissal left the visitors 105-6 and while Buttler (16 not out) and Woakes (on 28) navigated until the break.
By the time Richardson completed his maiden five-wicket haul with the scalp of Anderson (2 from 5 balls), thoughts were already turning to the MCG. Australia's win under stand-in skipper Smith extends the home side's record to nine wins from nine day-night tests.
Meanwhile, Australia have named an unchanged 15-man squad for the remaining three Ashes tests. Josh Hazlewood missed the Adelaide test because of a side strain.
The fast bowler and captain Pat Cummins, a late scratch from the second test because he was a close contact of a Covid-19 case, will rejoin the squad on Thursday.
Hazlewood will need to prove his fitness for the MCG test. The fourth and fifth tests at Sydney and Hobart respectively are in January.
Under-pressure opener Marcus Harris, who averages 22.19 from 12 tests after scores of three and 23 in Adelaide, is expected to remain at the top of the order.
