Australia in the ascendancy in Perth

England 180 for four at stumps on day two of third Ashes Test

PERTH: Australia edged closer to regaining the Ashes on the second day of the third Test against England at the WACA Ground on Saturday.

In reply to the home team's first-innings total of 385, the tourists were 180 for four at stumps on the second day, with Ian Bell on nine (from 62 balls) and Ben Stokes on 14, still trailing by 205 runs.

Australia leads the series 2-0 after wins in Brisbane and Adelaide, and can regain the Ashes with a win in Perth.

Although in-form pace man Mitchell Johnson went wicket-less despite generating express pace, all of the other Australian bowlers took a wicket each as several English batsmen failed to build on promising starts.

The home team struck two key blows in the final session of the day, removing England captain Alastair Cook (72) and dangerous batsman Kevin Pietersen (19) in quick succession.

Pietersen was showing unusual caution at the crease and it took him 49 balls to reach double figures.

However, Australian quick Peter Siddle continued his dominance over the tall right-hander when he lured him into an ugly pull shot that was well caught by Mitchell Johnson at mid-on.

It was the 10th time Siddle had claimed Petersen’s wicket in Test cricket, having also dismissed him twice in Adelaide in the second Test, and the manner of his demise again raised eyebrows.

However, England opener Michael Carberry defended Pietersen.

"It's a shot we've seen him play many times and hit it out of the ground," he said.

"I wouldn't want to see him put that shot in the locker."

Australian bowling coach Craig McDermott said his charges were rewarded late in the day for their discipline.

"The guys finished off really well today," he said. “Those two wickets in the last session were crucial to our day. The last three and a half hours our bowling and fielding was superb."

F1 Aussie Webber urges more Ashes sledging

Former Formula One driver Mark Webber has called for more sledging in cricket, saying the Australians should go even further in their verbal battle against England during the Ashes.

"My opinion on the sledging is the more the better,” Webber, who bade farewell to Formula One at the Brazilian Grand Prix last month, said in a blog on Sportlobster. “I want to see plenty of it. It's a brilliant part of the sport.”