Tim Southee and Trent Boult engineered another England meltdown today to have the tourists 150 for five at tea on day one of the second Test here.
Jonny Bairstow was not out 30 with Ben Stokes, continuing the cautiousness shown on the final day of the first Test, not out 25.
After New Zealand's strike pair had early success to have England at 38 for two, Joe Root and Mark Stoneman stemmed the initial slide with a 55-run stand for the third wicket.
Boult and Southee, who were central to England's innings defeat in the first Test, came back after lunch to take three wickets for one run in a nine-ball burst as England slumped to 94 for five.
It left Stokes and Bairstow to revive the innings with the pair adding 56 in nearly 21 overs for the sixth wicket.
Root and Stoneman were paired in the middle in the 17th over after Alastair Cook (two) and James Vince (18) had departed.
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For 20 overs they kept New Zealand at bay until Southee fired in a full-length delivery that was too good for Root's on drive attempt and crashed into the stumps.
Dawid Malan did not get off the mark, nor did he get his feet moving when he was out lbw to Boult and opener Stoneman was also caught on the crease when he edged Southee to Tom Latham at second slip to be gone for 35.
After putting on 70 runs in the first session, England slightly upped the tempo to 80 in the second.
For New Zealand, Southee has three for 37 and Boult two for 43.