Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten fifty kept England at bay after Jofra Archer's double strike rocked New Zealand in the third and deciding test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
New Zealand, with the three-match series up for grabs at 1-1, were faltering at 12-2 in their second innings following fast bowler Archer's two wickets after tea on the third day.
But at stumps they had recovered to 120-3, an overall lead of 204 runs, to set up an intriguing finish with two full days remaining.
Ravindra was 60 not out, the 12th time in his 24 tests he had scored 50 or more – a tally including five hundreds.
The 26-year-old left-hander received good support from Daryl Mitchell (26 not out) in an unbroken stand of 69.
Fast bowler Archer on another day of soaring heat in Nottingham had impressive close figures of 2-14 in seven overs to give England, on a run of six defeats in their last eight tests, hope of victory.
Archer struck twice to reduce New Zealand to 12-2 – a far cry from the Black Caps' first-innings 319-2 – as skipper Tom Latham and fellow opener Devon Conway, who had made 151 and 157 respectively earlier in this match, both fell for single-figure scores.
Latham was lbw for just four to a fine delivery from the express quick that angled in and cut away.
Conway, one of a quartet of left-handers in the top four, was then struck on the helmet by an Archer delivery that lifted awkwardly off a good length.
And three balls later he fell for five when another similarly brutish Archer delivery from around the wicket climbed sharply to take the splice before flying to Joe Root at first slip.
New Zealand were 51-3 when Harry Brook – who had earlier missed Henry Nicholls completely while stationed at a wide first slip – made no mistake when the Black Caps No 3 edged again.
But Ravindra went to his second fifty of the series by whipping returning England captain Ben Stokes through midwicket for a seventh four in 81 balls faced.
SUPERSUB FOULKES
Earlier, Nathan Smith took 4-91 and concussion substitute Zak Foulkes grabbed two key wickets as an injury-hit New Zealand bowled out England for 354 to lead by 84 runs on first innings.
Foulkes, New Zealand's first concussion substitute in test cricket after replacing Blair Tickner on Friday, captured the prize scalps of Stokes (15) and Brook (58) in a fine return of 3-35 in just 15.2 overs.
England lost three wickets for 11 runs at the start of Saturday's play as their overnight 223-2 became 234-5, with Root (21) and Jacob Bethell (74) unable to add to their Friday scores.
The double strike was just what New Zealand needed after coming into this match without injured seamer Matt Henry, who took 11 wickets at The Oval, and in-form towering paceman Kyle Jamieson, rested as a fitness precaution even before Tickner was sidelined.
Stokes was back after being omitted from England's 253-run defeat in the second test at The Oval for breaking a midnight curfew, along with Gus Atkinson, while celebrating at a London nightclub following the first-test win over New Zealand.
In New Zealand's first innings Stokes took 4-70 after ending an opening partnership that threatened to take the Black Caps to a total beyond 500.
But Stokes, fresh from 95 for county side Durham, only managed 15 on Saturday before he was bowled by a superb Foulkes delivery that cut back sharply to the left-handed batsman.
ENGLAND: Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
NEW ZEALAND: Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears