The Blackcaps have endured a frustrating opening day to the second test against South Africa at Christchurch, as the Proteas reached stumps at 238/3 at Hagley Oval.
A maiden century from opener Sarel Erwel (108) has ensured South Africa will avoid the humiliation of the first test, also at Hagley Oval, where the visitors were defeated by an innings and 276 runs before lunch on day three.
Bowled out for 95 and 111 in the first test, South Africa's batters put in a markedly improved effort on day one of the second, albeit with no fewer than five genuine edges landing short of the Blackcaps slips cordon.
For the home side, Tim Southee (1/41), Neil Wagner (1/50) and Matt Henry (1/65) all struck with the ball, but the three wickets taken in a day represents the fewest by a New Zealand attack in home conditions since 2013.
Rassie van der Dussen (13 not out) and Temba Bavuma (22 not out) will resume for South Africa on Saturday morning, as the Proteas hope to draw the two-match series.
Winning the toss, South African captain Dean Elgar stunned those in attendance by opting to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions.
Stating the need for South Africa's batters to "front up", Elgar did just that in the morning session.
Openers Elgar and Erwee saw off the Blackcaps' new-ball attack and batted through to lunch unscathed at 80/0.
After scoring 10 and 0 on debut in the series-opener, Erwee passed 50 for the first time in test cricket, facing 92 balls and batting through the first session to be 53 not out at lunch.
After the break, Erwee glanced to the fine-leg boundary, taking South Africa's score to 97/0 - higher than the first innings of 95 in last week's defeat.
Another boundary from Erwee, through mid-off, raised the 100 opening partnership with Elgar - South Africa's first in an overseas test match since 2012.
But with the score at 111/0, Southee struck to see the back of Elgar for 41, rattling the top of the stumps with a ball that came back into the left-hander.
Undeterred by the loss of his partner, Erwee pressed on and converted his maiden test fifty into his first century for South Africa, reaching three figures with the final ball before tea, after facing 188 balls and hitting 13 boundaries.
Erwee added a further 88 runs in partnership with Aiden Markram (42) to take the score to 199/1, but with the new ball approaching, the Blackcaps struck twice to halt South Africa's charge.
After no fewer than four edges had already fallen short of the slips cordon on day one, a knick through to Daryl Mitchell from Wagner saw the back of Markram, before Henry removed Erwee for 108 two balls later.
But in the face of another batting collapse, South Africa's fourth-wicket pair of Bavuma and van der Dussen added an unbeaten 39 in the final 119 balls of the day, ensuring the visitors would have some kind of platform to build on when day two begins.
The pair enjoyed some fortune, with Bavuma lucky to survive his second ball, edged between second and third slip, while van der Dussen was dropped on seven by Will Young at midwicket late in the day.
Ultimately, the day belonged to South Africa, leaving the Blackcaps with plenty of questions to answer in search of their maiden test series victory over the Proteas.
South Africa 238/3 (Erwee 108, Markram 42, Southee 1/41, Wagner 1/50)
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