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Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne steered a nervy Australia to 17-1 at lunch and a 102-run lead Friday after Ben Stokes's gritty 83 gave England a slither of hope on day three of the third Ashes Test.
Head was not out five and Labuschagne on four in Adelaide as the hosts aim to pile on a big total and put the five-match series out of England's reach.
But they suffered a setback in a tense 20 minutes before lunch after England were all out for 286 in response to Australia's first innings 371.
Bryson Carse trapped Jake Weatherald lbw for one and he walked without reviewing after the umpire lifted his finger, although replays showed the ball was pitching outside leg stump.
England lost the first Test at Perth inside two days and the second in Brisbane inside four, both by eight wickets, and only victory in Adelaide can save them.
After a woeful batting display on Thursday, Stokes and Jofra Archer kept their dreams alive with a stirring 106-run ninth-wicket stand.
England resumed at 213-8 in overcast and muggy conditions with Stokes not out 45 and Archer on 30.
Stokes, who suffered leg cramps and dehydration during his gutsy rearguard action in sweltering 40 Celsius heat on Thursday, brought up his slowest ever 50 in Tests, off 159 balls.
He kept plugging away but finally fell when Mitchell Starc took the new ball and bowled him, with Stokes one of the few players who showed the fight he had demanded before the game.
Archer was another, ably supporting his captain.
The fast bowler was the last man out when caught by Labuschagne off Scott Boland for 51 -- his highest Test score and a maiden half-century
Boland ended with 3-45 while Pat Cummins took 3-69 in his first Test since July after lower back issues.
England's woes began when openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, along with the under-performing Ollie Pope, departed in a 15-ball blitz on Thursday at the hands of Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Harry Brook showed some resistance with 45, but the Australian attack was relentless.
R.Schmid--NZN