Test Match Special predicts and describes Gough's spectacular fifth wicket

Australia were 18 behind at 252 for eight at the break, as Gough struck to remove debutant Matt Nicholson with the final ball of the afternoon session.

Aside from Gough's efforts, Angus Fraser and Alan Mullally also took wickets as Dean Headley and Graeme Hick repaid their team-mates for previous mistakes.

Headley had made a poor start to his afternoon bowling spell, while Hick had dropped one slip catch before taking another.

Headley had followed an over which cost 13, by catching Ian Healy off Fraser, just when the Australian wicket-keeper was threatening to repeat numerous previous efforts against England.

Healy caught at fine leg (Test Match Special)

Australia were 209 for six as that wicket fell, after Healy had joined Steve Waugh at 151 for five.

The pair, so often the destroyers of England in the past, came together with their side under pressure before lunch, but then put together an important fifty partnership.

Fraser: Two wickets after surprise recall

They were helped as England's control of the morning was replaced by looser deliveries, particularly when Headley returned to the attack, although he improved towards the session's end.

His first over cost 13 runs as Healy and Waugh looked ready to inflict yet another damaging partnership on England, just when things had been rapidly improving.

But then, in a Test match in which fortunes have entertainingly swung one way and another throughout, Healy top-edged a short ball from Angus Fraser

Headley ran around from fine leg to take the catch and the sense of relief among the English fielders could be felt on the other side of the world.

Damien Fleming is caught by Hick at the second attempt

Soon after Healy's dismissal a difficult chance was missed as Fleming edged to Hick at second slip.

He went on to make 12 after his escape, before Hick made no mistake with an easier catch 29 runs later.

That brought Nicholson out for his first Test innings and he made five as England captain Alec Stewart turned to Gough to remove the tail.

And one ball before tea, the Yorkshireman produced a perfect yorker, which clattered into the leg stump ferociously.

It left Nicholson out, and out for the count too, as he slipped over and fell to the ground desperately trying to play it.

The English fielders marched off the MCG, proud of their efforts - taking three wickets in each of the third day's sessions, and at last competitive in the series.

Waugh milestone

Steve Waugh is still there - his 77 runs a cause for double celebration as he has passed both 7,000 runs in Test cricket, and the total career aggregate of Australian legend Don Bradman.

Steve Waugh: 7,000th Test run as he passed Bradman total

But it was England's session - the importance of Healy's wicket in particular can hardly be under-estimated - he and Waugh are well known to English bowlers.

Their most recent rescue effort was in Brisbane in the first Test of this series, when they came together at 178 for five and put on 187.

That helped ensure Australia made it to 478 in a match where only a tropical storm denied them a victory.

England cannot even afford the weather saving them in this match - they must win to have any chance of drawing the series.

The first session of day three had already seen England enjoy perhaps their best two-and-a-half hours of the series so far.

Gough took two wickets and Fraser one as the Australians were reminded what it was like to be under pressure in an Ashes Test.

Fraser's victim was Mark Waugh just as he was looking set for a big innings, while Gough removed Justin Langer and his Yorkshire team-mate Darren Lehmann.

Scorecard

Overnight: England 270 (A Stewart 107, M Ramprakash 63; S MacGill 4-61). Australia 59-2

M Taylor c Hick b Gough 7
M Slater lbw b Gough 1
J Langer c Hussain b Gough 44
M Waugh lbw b Fraser 36
S Waugh not out 77
D Lehmann c Hegg b Gough 13
I Healy c Headley b Fraser 36
D Fleming c Hick b Mullally 12
M Nicholson b Gough 5

Extras 21

Total 252 for 8 (77 overs)

To bat: S MacGill, G McGrath,

Fall: 1-13, 2-26, 3-98, 4-127, 5-151, 6-209, 7-235, 8-252

Bowling: Gough 22-6-69-5, Headley 22-3-72-0, Mullally 15-4-43-1, Ramprakash 1-0-5-0, Fraser 17-0-53-2

England first innings

M Atherton c Healy b McGrath 0
A Stewart b MacGill 107
M Butcher c Langer b McGrath 0
N Hussain c Healy b Nicholson 19
M Ramprakash c McGrath b S Waugh 63
G Hick c Fleming b MacGill 39
W Hegg c Healy b S Waugh 3
D Headley c Taylor b McGrath 14
D Gough b MacGill 11
A Fraser not out 0
A Mullally lbw b MacGill 0

Extras 14

Total 270 all out (76 overs)

Fall: 1-0, 2-4, 3-81, 4-200, 5-202, 6-206, 7-244, 8-266, 9-270

Bowling: McGrath 22-5-64-3, Fleming 19-3-71-0 Nicholson 10-0-59-1, MacGill 19-2-61-4, S Waugh 6-2-8-2

Australia won toss and decided to field