Belgium saw their lead cut to three shots as the final round of the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf got under way at The Metropolitan Golf Club.
Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters brought a five-shot advantage into the final foursomes as they looked to win a first World Cup for Belgium and become the eighth team made up of all European Tour Members to lift the trophy in the last ten stagings.
A bogey on the second dropped them back to 18 under after three holes, however, with hosts Australia, Mexico and South Korea all within three.
England and Italy were then four shots off the lead.
There was some good scoring further down the leaderboard to give the chasing pack hope and Marc Leishman hit an excellent tee-shot into the second to help Australia join the group in second.
Ian Poulter holed a 15-footer at the fourth to get England to 14 under but back at the second there was a two-shot swing as things tightened up.
Abraham Ancer and Detry both hit nice tee-shots into the par-three but while Roberto Diaz made his downhill left-to-right birdie putt for Mexico, the Belgians three-putted and the lead was down to three.
Leishman hit a nice third into the par-five fourth and with Cameron Smith finishing the job from inside six feet, the hosts were just three shots back.
South Korea had bogeyed the third but bounced back emphatically when Si Woo Kim put their second on the fourth to tap-in range and they made a stunning eagle to sit just three back.
Playing partners Italy had also bogeyed the third but they made a textbook birdie on the next to join England at 14 under.
Reigning champions Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and Canada were five off the lead.
