Daryl Mitchell has scored an unbeaten 81, as the Blackcaps cruised to 318/4 from 87 overs on the opening day of the second test against England at Trent Bridge.
Needing a win to level the three-match series, after a stinging five-wicket defeat at Lord's last weekend, and without captain and leading batsman Kane Williamson, the Blackcaps lost the toss and were put in to bat.
The absence of Williamson - in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 - on the eve of the match, proved less of a setback than expected, as the visitors reached 108/2 at lunch and 195/4 at tea.
On a day of entertaining cricket, they were helped by England's fielders missing plenty of chances.
Joe Root dropped one catch and Zak Crawley let slip another chance, after England - unchanged from the first test - grabbed back-to-back wickets just before lunch.
New Zealand's opening stand was the highest in a test at the ground since 2005, but both openers departed in the space of two balls.
England captain Ben Stokes provided the breakthrough, having Will Young caught for 47 by a diving Crawley at second slip.
The Blackcaps had been 84/0, but were 84/2, when stand-in captain Tom Latham fell to Matthew Potts off James Anderson at midwicket.
The visitors' morning score was still a vast improvement on the 39/6 on the opening day of the first test at Lord's.
Anderson and Stokes each took a pair of wickets, with the captain's 2/40 coming from 12 overs.
New Zealand were 161/3, when Ben Foakes caught Henry Nicholls (30) behind off Stokes and the Blackcaps slipped to 169/4, after the wicketkeeper repeated the feat with Devon Conway (46) from an Anderson delivery.
Crawley dived across Root in a failed bid to catch Nicholls and Root missed an easier offering from Mitchell, when the batsman was on one.
Mitchell - who provided a light-hearted moment, when he smashed a six clear into the stands that landed with a splash in someone's beer, ended the day on an unbeaten 149 partnership with Tom Blundell.
The Blackcaps handed all-rounder Michael Bracewell his test debut, as injured Colin de Grandhomme's replacement in the middle order, while Matt Henry returned in place of Ajaz Patel and Nicholls filled the gap left by Williamson.
The final test is at Headingley from June 23.
Reuters
