New Zealand have taken firm control of the deciding third cricket Test against England in Auckland with three wickets in the opening session of the third day.

Resuming at 2-50, the tourists had crawled their way to 5-92 at lunch at Eden Park, still 351 runs short of New Zealand’s first innings total of 443.

Joe Root was unbeaten on 15, while wicket-keeper Matt Prior was 11 not out.

Pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult took the wickets to fall in the session, all by lbw, as they managed to extract movement in the sunny conditions.

Boult advanced his figures to 3-42, while Southee’s 2-13 from his eight-over spell took him to 2-25.

Southee claimed the first two scalps, those of Nick Compton and Ian Bell.

Compton went for 13 in the day’s third over after adding just one run to his overnight score.

He was originally given not out after there were two sounds, but New Zealand sent the matter to review and the replays showed the ball hit the pad first.

From 3-61, England were reduced to 4-65 when the experienced Bell departed for 17.

He had improved his score by 11, hitting one of the just three boundaries in the session with a leg glance off Boult.

There was better to come for New Zealand as Boult trapped Jonny Bairstow in front in the latter’s first first-class innings since England’s Test against India in Mumbai in November.

Called in as replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen, Bairstow managed just three to leave his side at 5-72.

As with Compton, his dismissal was confirmed on review after he was originally given not out.

The first two Tests, both weather-affected, ended in draws.