On a sunny weekend in Queensland, tourists will flock to the wineries of South Burnett to sample the produce.

But true connoisseurs will have looked to the Gabba, for the finest vintage in the state was at the crease for Australia.

Mitchell Starc, closing on his 36th birthday, shows no sign of slowing down, taking delight in grinding England’s hopes into the Brisbane dirt.

Having taken 6-75 in England’s innings, adding to his match figures of 10-113 in the first Test, Starc arrived at the crease on day two and took the game away from England.

At the time of his arrival, Australia held a first-innings lead of 49. When he departed, 34 overs later, it was at 157 and the tourists were staring firmly down the barrel of another defeat.

While England’s tailenders may favour an aggressive approach, Starc was more stoic, playing shorter lengths on merit and punishing the fuller ball in his 141-ball 77.

His strike-rate touched 200 to anything pitched up by England’s seamers, but back-of-a-length balls only went at 61 – marginally higher than his career rate of 49 to those deliveries.

He finally departed on the verge of dusk, caught by England’s captain Ben Stokes, who would have taken great relief at removing the greatest thorn in his team’s side.

But the damage had been done, and Australia took a first-innings lead of 177 – having been bowled out for 511.

Starc became only the fifth player to make a five-for in the first innings and score a half-century in the second of an Ashes Test since 1963, and only the second after Mitchell Johnson – the seamer who dominated England in 2013-14 and achieved that feat in Perth in that series.

“Mitchell Starc destroyed England’s top order with the ball and now he is breaking their hearts with the bat,” former England captain Alastair Cook told TNT Sports.

And now he has the pink ball in hand again, ready to rip through England’s top order once again.

Analysis – BBC Sport chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt

The depressing thing about how easy Mitchell Starc made batting look against England’s bowling is how hard Mitchell Starc’s bowling has made batting look for England.

He has had to lead the Australia pace attack in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, then even picked up extra slack in Brisbane after Nathan Lyon was omitted.

Starc is giving off vibes of fellow left-armer Mitchell Johnson, who destroyed England in the 2013-14 Ashes. Johnson also got some handy runs, too.

The consequence – or possibly the cause – of Starc’s stay at the crease at the Gabba was the benefit to his bowling, pushing the beginning of England’s innings closer to the twilight.

It was vital England made a good start to this Ashes and Starc has been the main reason why they haven’t.