Opener Mark Richardson scored a painstaking 93 on Thursday to take New Zealand to a commanding 284 for five on the opening day of the first Test against England at Lord's.
The compact left-hander was ably supported in a fifth-wicket partnership of 106 at the end of the day by Jacob Oram, who struck an unbeaten 64 in his first Test against England.
Nathan Astle scored 64 from 77 deliveries with 11 boundaries, sharing a second-wicket partnership of 103 with Richardson, while captain Stephen Fleming contributed 34.
New Zealand lost middle order wickets cheaply to the four-pronged England pace attack, with Simon Jones the most impressive of the bowlers, but England could not force home their advantage.
Earlier, two wickets in five balls thrust England back into contention after Astle had briefly threatened to tear their attack apart.
Astle, partnered by the obdurate Richardson, took New Zealand to 161 for the loss of only one wicket during the afternoon session before he was caught behind off Andrew Flintoff for 64, made in only 77 minutes with 11 boundaries.
Scott Styris fell to Simon Jones four balls later in similar fashion for a duck in his first match against England and at tea the tourists were 172 for three after Stephen Fleming had won the toss and elected to bat.
Simon Jones was the pick of the England bowlers, picking up the wickets of Styris and Fleming (34) in two spells of sustained, hostile fast bowling from the Pavilion End for figures of 15-6-42-2.
The Glamorgan paceman, who made a successful return to Test cricket during England's tour of the Caribbean this year after rupturing his cruciate ligament a year earlier against Australia, took the only wicket to fall in the morning session.
Fleming, opening for only the second time in 83 Tests, had taken seven off Steve Harmison's opening over and looked full of runs. But after reaching 34 with four boundaries he played a loose drive to Jones for debutant Andrew Strauss to take a smart catch in the gully.
Jones should have had a second wicket with the score on 70 after Richardson had accumulated 24. Graham Thorpe at third slip failed to gather a slash high to his right hand.
FLINTOFF REVENGE
Harmison, England's hero in the 3-0 series victory over West Indies with 23 wickets at just under 15 apiece, bowled a testing over to Astle after the break.
The Canterbury number three was altogether more comfortable against Matthew Hoggard, playing two flashing square drives to the boundary.
He then pulled Harmison for four followed by a on-drive for three.
Acting England captain Marcus Trescothick, standing in for the injured Michael Vaughan, turned to Flintoff, who had bowled an economical spell before lunch from the Nursery End.
Astle picked up his final boundary when an edge flew between the Surrey pair Thorpe and Mark Butcher at second and third slip respectively.
Flintoff gained revenge and his first wicket when Astle snicked a catch to Geraint Jones and in the next over Geraint Jones took a second catch off his namesake to dismiss Styris.
Scoreboard
New Zealand (1st innings):
M.Richardson lbw Harmison 93
S.Fleming c Strauss b S.Jones 34
N.Astle c G.Jones b Flintoff 64
S.Styris c G.Jones b S.Jones 0
C.McMillan lbw Hoggard 6
J.Oram not out 64
D.Tuffey not out 2.
Extras: (b-8, lb-4, w-2, nb-7) 21.
Total: (for five wickets, 88.2 overs) 284
Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-161, 3-162, 4-174, 5-280.
To bat: B.McCullum, C.Cairns, D.Vettori, C.Martin
Bowling: Hoggard 20-6-59-1 (nb-3, w-1), Harmison 24-6-77-1, Flintoff 20.2-7-50-1 (nb-2), S.Jones 19-8-54-2 (nb-2), Giles 5-0-32-0 (w-1).
England: M.Trescothick, A.Strauss, M.Butcher, N.Hussain, G.Thorpe, A.Flintoff, G.Jones, A.Giles, S.Jones, M.Hoggard, S.Harmison.
