Steve Smith made a captain-in-waiting century as Australia reached 7-376 at lunch on day two of the fifth Ashes Test.
Steve Finn and Ben Stokes both bowled well, while Moeen Ali snagged two wickets in the space of three balls as England fought back in the dead rubber.
Smith, who resumed at The Oval on 78, was unbeaten on 110 on Friday at the meal break.
He remained obstinate as the hosts bowled well wide of his off stump to dry up the runs.
The glaring exception was in the 94th over, when the 26-year-old fished at a wide ball from Finn.
Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler gleefully accepted the edge and Smith should have been dismissed on 92.
Finn's muted celebrations of his 100th Test scalp hinted something was amiss and replays confirmed the beanpole clearly overstepped.
Finn was denied his 100th Test wicket in the same fashion at Trent Bridge.
"You practise all these things ... there's just no sympathy for bowlers that keep doing this," Shane Warne said while calling the game for Sky Sports.
"He berated himself at fine leg. He probably wanted to give himself an uppercut."
Finn removed Mitch Marsh in the same spell, Ian Bell snaffling a thick edge above his head.
But he couldn't stop Smith reaching three figures.
Smith, who faced 23 dot balls before scoring his first runs on Friday, regained composure.
The 26-year-old batted cautiously, especially as his knock ticked past five hours and an 11th Test ton beckoned.
Smith went from 96 to 100 with four singles, the last coming when he scampered through after a misfield from Ben Stokes at mid-on.
The classy right-hander hammered his next delivery, a well-flighted ball from offspinner Ali, for six.
Michael Clarke, who will retire after the five-Test series finale and hand the captaincy over to Smith, applauded from the pavilion.
Smith put on a 146-run stand with Adam Voges when the game was in the balance.
Voges scored a hard-fought 76, doing well to see off the second new ball.
The 35-year-old unsuccessfully reviewed his dismissal, having been trapped plumb lbw by a great Stokes inswinger.
Marsh was dismissed five overs later but Australia were sitting pretty at 5-376 in the final over of the session.
Their advantage was less pronounced after three deliveries from Ali.
Peter Nevill was caught behind on the leg side, a product of Buttler's keeping as much as a short ball from Ali.
The session-ending dismissal of Mitchell Johnson was all Ali, whose straight ball slipped past the bat and onto middle stump.
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