- Play delayed due to bad weather and damp patches on the pitch in Perth
- Early lunch taken and play finally got underway at 1pm local time
- England started on 132-4 with Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow at the crease
- Tourists trailed Australia by 127 runs after their mammoth 662-9 dec
- Joe Root's men will concede the Ashes urn if they fall 3-0 behind in the series
- LAST WICKET: Ali lbw b Lyon 11, England 172 for six
By James Dutton For Mailonline
Published: 20:00 EST, 17 December 2017 | Updated: 01:21 EST, 18 December 2017
England stand on the brink of losing their hold hold on the Ashes as they head into day five of the third Test needing a minor miracle to seal a draw and keep the series alive.
Joe Root's men will resume the final day on 132-4, still trailing Australia by 127 runs with Dawid Malan (28) and Jonny Bairstow (14) tasked with seeing out the remaining sessions.
Australia had earlier declared on 662-9 with a lead of 259 and captain Steve Smith making a mammoth 239, forcing England to bat for the best part of five sessions.
England were handed slight reprieve at the end of day four as some unseasonable rain brought an early end to play and more wet weather seems their best chance of keeping from falling 3-0 behind.
A draw would at least give England the chance to retain the Ashes, but that would still require victories in the two remaining Tests, which could not look less likely at this moment in time.
You can follow all the fifth-day action with Sportsmail's JAMES DUTTON, with PAUL NEWMAN and RICHARD GIBSON providing updates and session reports from Perth.
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