 "Australia's Usman Khawaja celebrates making 100 runs against England during the second day of their Ashes cricket test match in Sydney (Photo: AP/PTI)")
Australia reached 149-4 at tea on the fourth day to lead by 271 runs but England's bowlers kept the hosts push for quick runs in check in a finely balanced session of the fourth Ashes cricket test on Saturday.
Australia added 83 runs in the session for the loss of the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith as it pursued a possible match-winning lead but still allow enough time to bowl England out in its second innings and take a 4-0 series lead.
At the break at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Usman Khawaja was 35 not out and Cameron Green was on 26, sharing a 63-run partnership which helped steady Australia from an earlier wobble at 86-4.
Mark Wood, who has troubled all of Australia's batsmen with his pace this series, struck shortly after lunch having Labuschagne (29) caught behind the wicket for the third consecutive innings.
After earlier taking Marcus Harris' wicket for 27, Jack Leach bowled his best spell of the series after lunch and was rewarded with the prize wicket of Smith for 23, bowling the star batsman with a delivery that kept low of the SCG pitch.
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England has not scored over 300 in an innings this series which perhaps indicates the lead Australia captain Pat Cummins is looking for before declaring and attacking the tourists' vulnerable batting top order later Saturday.
Rain is forecast in Sydney for later Saturday and Sunday which may influence the timing of a declaration for Australia.
Earlier, Australia quickly wrapped up England's first innings for 294 and then reached 66-2 at lunch as openers David Warner (3) and Marcus Harris (27) perished playing at balls they could have left.
The Australians have already clinched the five-test series with wins in the first three tests but are still chasing a result in the rain-affected fourth match in Sydney.
Resuming Saturday at 258-7, England could only muster another 36 runs as Nathan Lyon, then Scott Boland quickly mopped up the lower order to establish a first-innings lead of 122 runs.
Lyon (2-88) struck in the third over the morning, teasing Jack Leach into a big shot but was easily caught by Pat Cummins for 10.
Boland, returning with the all-clear after needing a scan on his ribs following a fall while he was bowling just before tea on Friday, finally ended Jonny Bairstow's defiant innings at 113. Bairstow faced 158 balls, hitting eight boundaries and three sixes.
Boland then had Stuart Broad caught behind for 15 to end the innings. Boland finished with 4-36 in another impressive performance following his exceptional debut in Melbourne, where he took six wickets for seven runs in the second innings.
England bowled well to Australia's openers, with Wood (2-44) having Warner edge behind to substitute wicketkeeper Ollie Pope who has replaced the injured Jos Buttler.
Leach (2-52) then struck shortly before lunch when he had Harris caught behind.
Over the first two rain-affected days at the SCG, Australia made 416-8 declared with Khawaja scoring 137 in his first test since 2019.
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