Australia [ Images ] removed three top-order England [ Images ] batsman at negligible cost in the opening session of the final day of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on Sunday to move closer to a crushing victory.

England, 20 for two overnight after trailing by 239 on the first innings, were in disarray at the interval with the score at 102 for five on a sunlit morning and no sign of the rain which came to their rescue on Saturday.

Pace bowler Ben Hilfenhaus [ Images ] delivered a body blow in the fourth over of the morning by knocking over Kevin Pietersen's [ Images ] off-stump.

Pietersen, who had added five to his overnight score of three, left a delivery he thought would swing away. Instead it went straight on and the Australians celebrated without restraint after removing their opponents' most dangerous batsman.

Hilfenhaus, who had removed Ravi Bopara [ Images ] (1) on Saturday afternoon, was replaced at the River end by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz [ Images ] who immediately extracted sharp spin with fielders clustered around the bat.

Captain Andrew Strauss [ Images ] square-cut the first boundary of the morning but was caught behind by Brad Haddin [ Images ] for 17 attempting a similar shot off the next delivery which bounced a little higher.

Hauritz was gifted a second wicket when Matt Prior [ Images ] (14) made the elementary error of trying to cut an off-spinner which turned appreciably and succeeded only in steering the ball to Michael Clarke [ Images ] at first slip.