A Steven Finn-led England fought back hard on day two of the third Test to bowl New Zealand out for 443.

New Zealand began the day on 1-250 with Peter Fulton on 124 and Kane Williamson on 83, hoping to score quick runs to get near 500 by the end of the day.

But a much-improved England bowling performance saw them constantly chip away at the New Zealand line-up, with tall paceman Finn taking six wickets and wicketkeeper Matt Prior claiming five catches.

New Zealand got to tea on 6-414, with Tim Southee scoring quickly, but lost their last four wickets after tea to Finn for 29 runs.

Southee scored nine runs after tea before edging a hook shot off Finn behind to Prior, and Bruce Martin followed 12 runs later when guiding a ball to Jonathan Trott at second slip.

Wicketkeeper BJ Watling later edged a ball down leg side to Prior, and Trent Boult then hit his first ball to Nick Compton at gully.

The Boult dismissal means Finn equalled his Test-best bowling figures of 6-125, and he will be on a hat-trick with his first ball in New Zealand’s second innings.

Earlier, Williamson fell nine runs short of his fourth Test century when he edged a ball from James Anderson which moved off the seam, and the Black Caps also lost Ross Taylor and Fulton in the first session while scoring just 62 runs.

Brendon McCullum and Dean Brownlie tried to increase the scoring rate after lunch but both were dismissed in the 30s, and though Southee and Watling put on 51 for the seventh wicket, the rest contributed few.

England will have about 26 overs to negotiate before stumps on day two.