Joe Root and Ian Bell regained the momentum for England which added 111 runs for the loss of one wicket in the middle session on day two Saturday of the second test at Headingley.
England was 178-4 at tea, with both local batsmen at the crease; Root was 61 not out in his first test at his home ground, and Jonny Bairstow on 13.
Bairstow skipped in to a roar from the crowd after Bell was out for 30 at 146-4.
Root and Bell forged England's second half-century partnership, worth 79. Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott combined for 56 in the morning only for their hard work to be undone by their dismissals off successive balls in the five minutes before lunch.
Root and Bell resumed after lunch at 67-3, both yet to score. But that took only five more balls for Bell and two for Root, as they worked singles and doubles to all parts, sent overpitched deliveries to the boundary, and ran well.
New Zealand's four-man pace attack was still finding swing off the pitch, but Root and Bell looked comfortable.
Bell was given out lbw on 12 coming forward to Tim Southee, but won his review which showed the ball would have gone over his stumps.
Root brought up his second successive half century against New Zealand, off 90 balls, including five boundaries. He scored 71 in the first-test win at lord's.
He and Bairstow added 32 in 33 balls to tea.
Brief Scores
Eng: 178/4 (J Root 61 no; K Williamson 1/11) at tea on Day 2 vs NZ.