Sydney, January 4:

Kevin Pietersen remains the only recognised batsmen standing between Australia and an historic 5-0 Ashes sweep after another vintage Shane Warne performance against England.

Warne top-scored with 71 in Australia’s first innings 393, helping the hosts to a 102-run lead, then dismissed Andrew Flintoff after Brett Lee and Stuart Clark picked off batsmen Nos 1-4.

At stumps, England were 114-5 with Pietersen on 29 and night watchman Monty Panesar on zero. The English had a slender 12-run lead with only tailend batsmen to come and two days to play.

Lee did the early damage, dismissing Alastair Cook. He also removed Ian Bell. Stuart Clark struck in between Lee’s wickets, trapping Strauss, and then dismissed Paul Collingwood. Warne clouted nine fours and two sixes in a typically attacking tailend dig. He shared a 58-run seventh-wicket partnership with Gilchrist (62) and a 68-run ninth-wicket partnership with Clark (35).

SCOREBOARD:

ENGLAND — 1st Innings: 291

AUSTRALIA — 1st Innings (Overnight: 188-4)

M Hussey c Read b Anderson 37

A Symonds b Panesar 48

A Gilchrist c Read b Anderson 62

S Warne st Read b Panesar 71

B Lee c Read b Flintoff 5

S Clark c Pietersen b Mahmood 35

G McGrath not out 0

Extras: 20 (10lb,4w,6nb)

Total: 393

FoW: 1-34, 2-100, 3-118, 4-155, 5-190, 6-260, 7-318, 8-325, 9-393

England bowling: Flintoff 17-2-56-1, Anderson 26-8-98-3, Harmison 23-5-80-2, Mahmood 11-1-59-1, Panesar 19.3-0-90-2

ENGLAND — 2nd Innings

A Strauss lbw b Clark 24

A Cook c Gilchrist b Lee 4

I Bell c Gilchrist b Lee 28

K Pietersen not out 29

P Collingwood c Hayden b Clark 17

A Flintoff st Gilchrist b Warne 7

M Panesar not out 0

Extras: 5 (2lb,2nb,1w)

Total: 114/5

FoW: 1-5, 2-55, 3-64, 4-98, 5-113

Australia bowling: Lee 10-3-34-2, McGrath 13-7-22-0, Clark 12-4-29-2, Warne 3-0-14-1, Symonds 5-2-13-0