Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten fifty revived New Zealand after Jofra Archer's double strike had given England renewed hope of victory 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, a significant overall lead of 204 runs, with a previously good pitch now showing signs of uneven bounce after being 'baked' for three days in soaring heat.
Ravindra was 60 not out, his second fifty of the series.
The 26-year-old left-hander received good support from Daryl Mitchell (26 not out) in an unbroken stand of 69.
"We always knew that new ball period was going to be tough work but credit to Rachin and Daryl they played really well after that," New Zealand concussion substitute Zak Foulkes, who earlier Saturday returned fine figures of 3-35 in just 15.2 overs, told reporters.
"Hopefully they can carry on in the morning (Sunday)."
England are on a run of six defeats in their last eight Tests and anything other than a win in Nottingham could spell trouble for managing director Rob Key and coach Brendon McCullum.
The due, already under pressure following England's woeful 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, have also faced further flak for their handling of recent curfew breaches by skipper Ben Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson.
England left-arm spinner Shoaib Bashir admitted a wearing pitch would be a worry when it came to a fourth-innings run-chase.
"We've got unbelievable cricketers in this team but we want it to be as little as possible with this wicket deteriorating," he said.
Bashir, whose nine wicketless overs Saturday cost just 28 runs added: "We're human, we're obviously going to feel pressure but there's a lot of excitement going into these next two days as well."
New Zealand's early batting Saturday was a far cry from their first-innings, as skipper Tom Latham and fellow opener Devon Conway, who made 151 and 157 respectively in a total of 438, fell for four and five second time around.
Latham was lbw to a fine Archer ball 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.
Three balls later he was out to a similarly brutish delivery that climbed sharply off the splice before flying to Joe Root at first slip, with Archer returning impressive close figures of 2-14 in seven overs.
New Zealand were 51-3 when Henry Nicholls fell for 16.
But Ravindra stylishly went to fifty by whipping returning England captain Stokes through midwicket for a seventh four in 81 balls faced.
Earlier, Nathan Smith took 4-91 and Foulkes two key wickets as an injury-hit New Zealand dismissed 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 Harry Brook (58).
England lost three wickets for 11 runs at the start of Saturday's play as their overnight 223-2 became 234-5.
Root (21) and Jacob Bethell (74) were both unable to add to their Friday scores, with wicket-keeper Tom Latham again crowding the batsmen for room by standing up to the stumps.
"We just tried to stay boring for as long as possible and tried to dry up the runs," said Foulkes, 24.
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, alongside Atkinson, while celebrating at a London nightclub following the first-Test win over New Zealand.
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