But the tourists had yet to declare in a match they have to win to stand any chance of regaining the Ashes.
Australia were 137 for five in their second innings, 296 runs in front, with captain Michael Clarke 14 not out, following his superb first innings 187, and Brad Haddin yet to score.
The most any side have made to win in the fourth innings of an Old Trafford Test is England's 294 for four against New Zealand in 2008.
Another factor he had to take into consideration was the weather, with more rain forecast for Monday.
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England complicated Australia's victory bid by avoiding the follow-on earlier Sunday after resuming on 294 for seven following Kevin Pietersen's impressive 113 on Saturday.
They needed 34 runs to make Australia bat again and the eighth wicket duo of Matt Prior (30) and Stuart Broad (32) knocked them off with a flurry of boundaries in an eighth-wicket stand of 58.
Broad scored all but four of his runs in boundaries before he was caught behind off spinner Nathan Lyon.