Shoaib Bashir led the fightback as England bagged five New Zealand wickets in the final session after Kane Williamson hit 93 on day one of the first Test at a packed Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Williamson, who missed the Kiwis' recent 3-0 victory in India with a groin injury but replaced player of that series, Will Young, against England, fell seven runs short of what would have been a 33rd Test century as the hosts closed on 319-8.
New Zealand were well placed on 227-4 in the evening but the dismissal of Williamson - caught at backward point off Gus Atkinson (2-61) - triggered a wobble of 3-25, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir (4-69) having Tom Blundell (17) pouched in the off-side and debutant Nathan Smith (3) snaffled at leg slip.
Bashir then ended a frustrating 46-run stand between Glenn Phillips (41no) and Matt Henry (18) when the latter holed out at long-on as he added further to his earlier wicket of Rachin Ravindra (34).
Phillips was dropped on nought as England captain Ben Stokes shelled a sharp chance at mid-off, with the same batter then overturning a caught-behind dismissal off Stokes on nine.
England were not bang at it in the morning and afternoon after electing to bowl on a green-tinged surface - there were 35 extras shipped on the day - but were much-improved after tea as they began their bid for a first Test series win in New Zealand since 2008.
The winners of this series will scoop the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, named in tribute to ex-New Zealand captain Martin Crowe and former England batter Graham Thorpe.
The trophy merges bats used by Crowe and Thorpe, who passed away in 2016 and 2024 respectively - Crowe's bat was the one with which he scored a hundred at Lord's in 1994, while Thorpe hit back-to-back centuries with his in New Zealand in 1997.
Current New Zealand captain Tom Latham (47) added 58 with Williamson for the second wicket after Atkinson had caught Devon Conway (2) off his own bowling in the second over, taking smartly in his follow-through to leave the home side 4-1.
Latham edged the impressive Brydon Carse (2-57) behind to stand-in wicketkeeper Ollie Pope but Williamson went on to share half-century partnerships with Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell (19), alliances of 68 and 69 respectively.
Ravindra would have been dismissed on 21 on the stroke of lunch had England called for the review, with it later shown that the batter had snicked Stokes through to Pope.
That blunder only cost the tourists 13 runs with Ravindra clothing a Bashir full toss to Zak Crawley at midwicket, before Mitchell top-edged Carse to Harry Brook at deep third early in the final session with the score 199-3.
Thursday's action in Christchurch also saw England debutant Jacob Bethell bowl one over of left-arm spin, with his first ball swept for four by Williamson before he tightened up thereafter.
Bethell will bat at No 3 for England with Pope dropping down to No 6 as he marries batting duties with keeping wicket following the tour-ending fractured thumb suffered by Jordan Cox.
England have called up uncapped Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson, with the 25-year-old due to arrive on Saturday and be an option for the second Test in Wellington next week.
Robinson would likely come in for Bethell but should the debutant impress in Christchurch and Pope continue the struggles that saw him average 11 in Pakistan in October with a top-score of 29, England could have a big decision to make.
Pope kept smartly against New Zealand with the real concerns on day one the ineffectiveness of Chris Woakes (0-54 from 16 overs) and Atkinson's seven no-balls, while New Zealand will be lamenting a number of rash strokes that helped their opponents take wickets.
England spinner Shoaib Bashir (4-69):
"I wasn't expecting to bowl 20-odd overs and take four wickets on day one, but I knew I had a job to do. Stokesy and Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) back me 100 per cent and that brings the best out in me.
"If I bowl a bad ball there's nothing really, Ben just looks at me and smiles. Even that just gives me so much belief, because I know I can still bowl my best ball. All I was thinking about was trying to take a wicket or create an opportunity.
"I'm not perfect, every day I feel I could play better. But I feel I've developed bowling at some of the best in the world."
New Zealand's Kane Williamson:
"It was challenging, we had to work hard and we had some really good partnerships. The ball did a bit throughout but it is pretty fair for bat and ball. I was just trying to adjust and I think our guys applied themselves.
"It was a pretty balanced day of Test cricket. Both teams fought hard and got their rewards. It's evenly poised.
"I think both teams will be pleased with their efforts and it just depends on how the surface changes throughout in terms of how valuable day one is for either team.
"The predominant threat is usually sideways movement and bounce but Bashir bowled nicely. He is a tall guy and gets bounce, gets some drop and got his rewards."
Sky Sports Cricket's Michael Atherton:
"England would certainly have taken this position from 199-3.
"The average at Hagley Oval is nine wickets falling on the first day so we got was expected. What wasn't expected was where the wickets came from in Bashir. On a pretty thickly-grassed pitch, you'd normally expect the seamers to do the damage.
"It was a hot, blustery day - hot by Christchurch standards at 27, 28 degrees - so that may have taken a bit of moisture out of the pitch pretty quickly,
"It didn't do that much so I think England will be pretty happy to have taken eight wickets. New Zealand will look back with a great deal of frustration after letting England back into the game."
