Captain Brendon McCullum hit a half-century as New Zealand reached 5-169 at lunch on day three of the second Test against England in Wellington.

Overnight pair Kane Williamson and Dean Brownlie were dismissed within the space of four deliveries to sink the hosts to 5-89 early on Saturday.

An in-form McCullum, on 52, and wicketkeeper BJ Watling, 19, guided them through the rest of the morning session in bristling fashion.

The first-innings deficit is 296 after England were dismissed for 465 at tea on day two. New Zealand need another 97 runs to avoid following on.

As usual, McCullum was the aggressor in a sixth-wicket stand of 80, pulling and cutting with vigour at anything short on his way to a 27th Test half-century.

A six over square leg off Stuart Broad and six fours provided 30 of his runs off 68 balls faced.

A more controlled Watling had faced one more ball than his partner and had hit two fours.

McCullum has passed 50 in his last five innings against England. He scored 74 in the drawn first Test at Dunedin last week and raced to scores of 79, 74 and 69 not out in the three one-day internationals last month.

New Zealand resumed at 3-66 and were unruffled for 20 minutes before Williamson, on 42, drove an innocuous Broad delivery straight back to the left-arm seamer, who caught it comfortably at stomach height.

James Anderson captured Dean Brownlie lbw in the next over for 23.

Brownlie was struck high on the pad and requested a review which was unsuccessful.

Broad’s figures were 3-44 off 13 overs while Anderson had taken 2-39 off 16 on a pitch which was still playing truly and offering little assistance for spinner Monty Panesar.