England's gloomy weather has conspired to help Australia claw their way back into the first Ashes Test, after 20 minutes of mayhem left the hosts' top order reeling on day three.
England slumped to 2-28 in their second innings when play ended early on Sunday, with the hosts leading by only 35, after losing 2-2 in a 22-ball period between two rain delays.
After Australia were all out for 386 in reply to England's 8(dec)-393 before lunch, England were cruising in their second innings at 0-26 when bad weather interrupted.
Players then emerged with dark clouds overhead and the floodlights on, prompting Australia to set attacking fields for the first time in the Test.
Cameron Green first took a brilliant low diving catch to rid of Ben Duckett for 19 off Pat Cummins, before Scott Boland had Zak Crawley caught behind on 7.
Crawley glared back at the umpires as he walked off the field, seemingly unhappy play was continuing in the poor light.
Joe Root then survived multiple lbw and caught behind appeals before more rain returned to wash away the rest of the day.
"It was exciting, the lights come on and the ball was moving around a little more," Australia's wicketkeeper Alex Carey said.
"Taking two early wickets we saw an opportunity to bring the field in and squeeze pressure.
"We were only out there for 10 overs, but it felt like we were back to hitting good line and lengths and getting a little bit out of the wicket and the field could come up."
England quick Ollie Robinson admitted his team's batsmen were frustrated by the timing of play, but would not criticise umpires for staying on.
"If the umpire says it is fit to play, then it is fit to play," he shrugged.
"You won't hear any excuses from our side, it's part of the game."
The downpours leave the contest well poised heading into day four, where better weather is forecast before a 60 per cent chance of rain on day five.
England have made a point of trying to force results in the past year regardless of conditions, including declaring to set Pakistan a target of 343 on a flat track in Rawalpindi in December.
But any such action would be daring in an Ashes series opener.
Earlier, Australia had looked likely to claim a first-innings lead before Usman Khawaja's dismissal for 141 prompted the tourists to lose 4-14 in the space of 3.3 overs.
Comfortable all of Saturday, Khawaja grew impatient on Sunday morning after scoring six runs from his previous 33 balls.
With a catching ring of six men in front of the wicket, Khawaja jumped down the pitch, yorked himself, and was bowled by Robinson.
Robinson gave Khawaja an almighty expletive-laden send off in a moment that could capture the attention of Australia and match officials.
England also trapped Nathan Lyon with their funky field sets.
With every fielder square or behind the wicket, Lyon hit a Robinson ball straight down Ben Duckett's throat at deep square leg.
Boland and Cummins fell soon after to Stuart Broad (3-68) and Robinson (3-55), with Cummins' 38 his highest score as captain.
Carey was the other Australian to go in the first session, bowled through the gate by James Anderson for 66 after a 118-run stand with Khawaja that could well prove crucial.
It was not a good morning for England spinner Moeen Ali on his 36th birthday, however, who finished with 2-147 and was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for using an unauthorised drying agent on his bowling hand on day two.
Battling to grip the ball with a sore finger, Moeen was hit back over his head for six by Khawaja and tonked over the fence twice by Cummins before going off for treatment.
