Perth: Australia secured a commanding lead over England in the morning session of day three of the third Ashes Test at the WACA Ground here. 

On a day which brought temperatures in the high 30s, the Australians were 220 for three at lunch with Mike Hussey not out on 43 and Michael Clarke on three on Saturday.

The overall lead at lunch was 249, with the home side looking to set the tourists a massive fourth innings run chase. The Australians, already 2-0 up in the series, can regain the Ashes with victory here.

England showed renewed fight in the morning session and were rewarded shortly before lunch when Matthew Hayden fell to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for 92.

The tourists began well when they had Australian captain Ricky Ponting caught behind off the bowling of paceman Steve Harmison for 75 in the fourth over of the day.

Ponting was in an aggressive mood and looked set for another big score as he passed the 500-run mark for the series, but pushed hard at a Harmison delivery and got an outside edge to Geraint Jones.

It was a valuable early wicket but there was precious little more luck in the session for the English, who generally bowled well and could easily have had more success.

Hayden flicked a ball just inches wide of a diving Alastair Cook at mid-wicket and also survived a confident lbw appeal by Harmison.

Umpire Rudi Koertzen gave Hussey, on 15 at the time, not out to an appeal for a catch at bat-pad off Panesar, although replays suggested the ball came off Hussey's bat.

Hayden's extravagant shot selection came back to haunt him with a century in sight when he tried to cut against the spin and was brilliantly caught at the second grab by Paul Collingwood at first slip.

Hayden had been at the wicket for 252 minutes, faced 159 balls and hit 12 fours in a welcome return to form after a lean series.

Hussey was struck flush on the grill by a Harmison bouncer just minutes before lunch, while Jones missed a stumping chance off Clarke from the bowling of Panesar in the last over before the break.