England dismissed Australia for 155 and were 68 for one chasing 271 for victory at tea on the third day of the day-night fifth Ashes test at Hobart's Bellerive Oval on Sunday.
Paceman Mark Wood made the most of seaming conditions for 6-37 to help bowl out the hosts early in the second session and give England the first genuine sniff of a victory in the series.
Recalled opener Rory Burns and his partner Zak Crawley weathered a storm of Australian pace bowling until just before the break when all-rounder Cameron Green broke their 68-run partnership.
Burns, wearing his long hair down for the first time in the series, was looking to let a bouncy delivery go but did not get his bat out of the way in time and played it on to his stumps to depart for 26.
Crawley will resume under the floodlights on 32 alongside Dawid Malan looking to cut deeper into the 203-run tally the tourists need for victory.
Already 3-0 down in the series with hopes of wresting back the urn long gone, England are playing only for pride as they seek a first test victory in Australia in their last 15 attempts.
Bristling with aggression, Wood had earlier removed nightwatchman Scott Boland, Steve Smith, first-innings centurion Travis Head and Mitchell Starc in the opening session.
He returned after the first break to finish the job with the wicket of Pat Cummins to claim the best figures of his career.
Stuart Broad chipped in with the wickets of Green for 23 and Alex Carey, who was fortunate to reach 49.
Carey chopped on a Chris Woakes delivery only to be called back for a no ball, and survived another scare on DRS review when given out lbw to Broad.
Cummins also had a reprieve courtesy of the technology when Wood trapped him plumb in front with a yorker only for the video to show the ball would have missed his off stump.
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