Man of the match: Steven Finn
ENGLAND roared back into the Ashes lead after an extraordinary eight-wicket win which was completed before tea on the third day in the third Test at Edgbaston.
Comeback kid Steven Finn took 6-79 in the second innings for match figures of 8-117 - while birthday boy James Anderson enjoyed his best ever Ashes return of 6-47 in the first innings.
In between, half centuries from Joe Root (63), Ian Bell (53) at three, and Moeen Ali (59) down the order were enough to help England reach 281 on the first time around.
And Bell (65 not out) and Root (38 not out) then knocked off most of the required 121 runs to complete yet another turnaround in this bewildering series.
England, after all, had arrived in Birmingham on the back of their fourth worst ever Test defeat in terms of runs at Lord's - and that had come following a dominant 169-run win in the first Test at Cardiff.
Predicting exactly what will happen next week at Trent Bridge has thus become a mug's game - though England can at least go there certain that victory will ensure the Ashes urn returns home.
It has already been confirmed, however, that Alastair Cook will have to cope without England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker Anderson after the Lancastrian pulled a side muscle late on day two.
That really is a shame for Anderson who has looked in good form in this Test - and, regardless even of that, has consistently bowled well in Nottingham in the past.
Nevertheless, his injury was pretty much the only black mark on a delightful few days for England.
Aussie captain Michael Clarke may have won the toss - but his decision to bat first on a pitch which offered seam and movement under leaden skies was one which he was soon to regret.
Pumped-up England came out firing with Finn immediately in form, swinging one away from Steve Smith (7) and castling Clarke (10).
With Anderson having already accounted for David Warner (2), Australia were a very English-looking 38-3.
A recovery of sorts followed as Chris Rogers and Adam Voges compiled a partnership worth 43 which would ultimately be the best of the innings.
But Voges (16) then edged Anderson behind to Jos Buttler early in the afternoon to spark an epic collapse.
Mitch Marsh departed for a duck, again caught behind, in Anderson's next over - before he struck twice again in his next two overs to remove Peter Nevill (2) and Mitchell Johnson (3).
Stuart Broad joined the party with the key wicket of Rogers (52), trapped plumb lbw, before Mitchell Starc (11) sent one behind off the toe-end of the bat.
Anderson, having already achieved his five-fer with Johnson's wicket, celebrated with a sixth after Nathan Lyon (11) played onto his stumps. Almost in a blur, Australia had been bowled out for 136.
Advantage England - but poor Adam Lyth has struggled to impress in this series and he was out early again, for 10 to Josh Hazlewood, even if it took a juggling Voges three attempts to catch it.
Voges got even luckier later in the evening after Cook (34) smashed a pull off a short ball from Lyon straight into him, only for it somehow to lodge in his jumper.
Nonetheless, Bell and Root seemed to be guiding England to the close without any further worries until the former injudiciously skied Lyon to Warner.
Following that late wicket, the hosts' plan on the second morning obviously would have been to rebuild - but Johnson did not give them the chance with two short-pitched snorters accounting for Jonny Bairstow (5) and Ben Stokes (0).
At that stage, England were only just six runs into the lead and so really needed a partnership to secure a genuine stranglehold.
But, still, the wickets continued to fall. First, Root chased a dreadful wide ball off Starc to be caught by Voges at slip, and then Buttler (9) was trapped lbw by Lyon who, at that stage, had 3-3 off three overs.
Nowadays, though, England - at their best - bat way down the order, and Moeen with Broad produced a dazzling stand of 87 to put a much clearer margin between the two teams.
The pair both departed to Hazlewood in quick succession and, thereafter, England were never going to last much longer - although again Nevill's catch from Anderson (3), into the webbing of his glove, had more than a touch of fortune about it.
So, England - despite the lack of a centurion - had cobbled together a lead of 145. Ashes history, however, suggested the Australians would bat much better second time around...
It therefore came as a hell of a shock when they were reduced to 111-6, still 34 behind.
Fantastic Finn did the most damage, inducing a top-edge off Smith (8), before putting himself on a hat-trick by accounting for Clarke (3) and Voges.
Marsh (6) watched the hat-trick attempt drift harmlessly wide - but he lasted only a little longer before failing to get a bat to a much straighter, fuller ball from Middlesex quick.
Then the sixth wicket of the innings fell to Anderson. It was the key scalp, too - that of Warner after the opener had moved to 77 off just 62 balls.
But, before close of play, Finn made sure he had the final word by inducing another top-edge, this time from Johnson (14), caught safely at backward point by Stokes.
Australia thus resumed today on a ridiculous-looking 168-7, leading by just 23 - but aware that even perhaps another 120 runs or so would send nerves jangling in the England dressing room.
For the Baggy Greens also have an occasionally handy bottom order - and Nevill, literally in Brad Haddin mode, set about building a dangerous partnership with Starc.
Indeed, the stand had reached 64 when England, shorn of the injured Anderson, finally made the breakthrough.
Inevitably, it came through Finn after Nevill, on 59, sent an inside edge behind - and, suddenly, the onus had passed to Starc.
He was left helpless, however, when Root - at third slip - dived brilliantly to make a one-handed catch to dismiss Hazlewood (11) off Stokes.
And Starc (58) himself was soon gone after miscuing a shot over cover off Moeen to sub fielder Josh Poysden.
Australia had managed to set a target of 121. Surely, it wasn't enough.
But then small chases will always play all sorts of mind games with batsmen - and England only had more reason to be tentative when Cook was castled early on by Starc for seven.
Bell, enjoying the comforts of his home ground, attempted to settle down the other opener, Lyth.
However, the Yorkshireman, though hardly alone in recent times in struggling in his position right at the top of the order, continued to look uneasy - and it was no surprise when Hazlewood had him trapped lbw for 12.
England, nevertheless, were 51-2 off just 11 overs - and the progress became only sweeter still after Root joined Bell in the middle.
The pair were not faultless, of course, especially against the probing Lyon. As the victory target neared, though, England's self-assurance soared - and Root lofted the spinner over deep midwicket for six.
By the end of that heady over, England had made it to three figures and required just 21 more with tea delayed in anticipation of victory.
Appropriately enough for Edgbaston, it was Bell who duly delivered the final blow, tucking Marsh’s first ball of the over away to the legside boundary.
England, in the end, won it with a frightening degree of comfort. Not that the ease of this victory will assist in forecasting the next Test in Nottingham, which begins this coming Thursday.
For, while the home side may have rediscovered Finn, the loss of Anderson can only be seen to have weakened them.
Australia, meanwhile, always seemingly find a way to come back strongly - and skipper Clarke, in a terrible rut, now has a massive point to prove.
Remember, the Aussies only need to tie the series to retain the Ashes - and, coincidentally, 2-2 was a prediction of mine and many others.
This rollercoaster Ashes series, now heading into the last two matches, is still therefore very much up for grabs.
THE ASHES 2015
| 8-11 July | 1ST England 430 & 289 beat Australia 308 & 242 by 169 runs | Cardiff |
| 16-19 July | 2ND Australia 566-8d & 254-2d beat England 312 & 103 by 405 runs | Lord's |
| 29-31 July | 3RD England 281 & 124-2 beat Australia 136 & 265 by eight wickets | Edgbaston |
| 6-10 August | FOURTH TEST | Trent Bridge |
| 20-24 August | FIFTH TEST | The Oval |
CENTURIES
215 Steve Smith (Australia) in the second Test, Lord's
173 Chris Rogers (Australia) in the second Test, Lord's
134 Joe Root (England) in the first Test, Cardiff
FIVE-WICKET HAULS
6-47 James Anderson (England) in the third Test, Edgbaston
6-79 Steven Finn (England) in the third Test, Edgbaston
5-114 Mitchell Starc (Australia) in the first Test, Cardiff
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