Lyon strikes leave England on brink of defeat at Adelaide

Nathan Lyon's late burst of wickets has put Australia firmly on course for victory in the third Ashes Test, leaving England four wickets from defeat after day four at the Adelaide Oval.

The off-spinner removed Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes with successive dismissals before producing a superb stumping to send back top-scorer Zak Crawley, effectively extinguishing England's hopes of an improbable chase of 435.

England will resume on the final day at 6-207, needing a further 228 runs to achieve what would be the highest successful run chase in Test cricket history. Australia requires just four wickets to secure the match and, if successful, will have retained the Ashes inside 11 days - the quickest series victory since Australia's eight-day triumph in 1921.

Earlier, Australia lost 6-78 in the morning session, seemingly satisfied they had set England a target beyond reach once it passed world-record territory. While England's "Bazball" approach has delivered successful fourth-innings chases of 373 and 378 in recent years, this pursuit faltered almost immediately.

Ben Duckett was dismissed for four in the opening exchanges, edging Pat Cummins to Marnus Labuschagne at first slip with the score on four. Ollie Pope and Crawley steadied the innings with a 27-run partnership before Pope was dismissed for 17 after Labuschagne produced a spectacular catch.

Joe Root joined Crawley and the pair took England to tea without further loss, but Root was later dismissed by Cummins for the 13th time in Test cricket, reacting in visible frustration to his departure.

Lyon then took control midway through the evening session. Brook was bowled for 30 while attempting a reverse sweep, before Stokes fell for five to a delivery that drifted, gripped and clipped the top of off stump. Lyon completed a devastating spell of 3-7 from 20 balls when Crawley, who had compiled a determined 85, was stumped to leave England's resistance in tatters.

Australia now enters day five heavily favoured to close out the Test and the series.