Danny Willett is 16 under par and on top of the Dubai Desert Classic leaderboard after the third round, while Scott Hend is the highest-placed Australian with a share of sixth place.
Hend shot a six-under-par 66 on Saturday to sit five strokes behind Willett, and even with Britain's Chris Wood.
Fellow Australians Brett Rumford and Nathan Holman are another shot back at after respective third rounds of 69 and 67.
Willett shot a second successive round of 65 to enjoy a one-shot advantage as he moved to 16-under par for the tournament, with 2012 champion Rafael Cabrera-Bello in second place at 15-under with his third consecutive round of 67.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy saved his round with another blistering back nine performance, but will begin the final day eight shots behind Willett at 208 after a four-under-par 68 round.
England's Andy Sullivan (66), who finished runner-up to McIlroy in November's DP World Tour Championship, was third at 202, Netherland's Joost Luiten (67) fourth at 203 and recent Joburg Open winner, Hadyn Porteus of South Africa, fifth at 204.
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