Joe Root led England’s recovery to 4-178 at tea on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand in Leeds on Saturday.
Root, who went in at 3-63 after England lost two wickets in two balls on that score, was 61 not out on his Headingley home ground and fellow Yorkshireman batsman Jonny Bairstow 13 not out.
It was another composed display by the 22-year-old Root, now in his sixth Test but yet to make a hundred, following his 71 in the second innings of England’s 170-run win in the first of this two-match series at Lord’s last week.
Both Ian Bell and Root were nought not out at lunch.
Tim Southee, who took 10 wickets at Lord’s, thought he’d reduced England to 4-100 when Bell was given out lbw for 12.
But Bell called for a review of the decision by South African umpire Marais Erasmus and technology indicated the ball would have bounced over the stumps.
Part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson lived up to his reputation as a partnership breaker when he had Bell, carelessly trying to run the ball down to third man, caught behind by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum for 30.
It was the end of a stand worth 79 and England were now 4-146.
Bairstow went to the crease and he, as had Root, received a rousing reception from his home crowd.
And there were more cheers for Root when he completed a 90-ball fifty including five fours.
Earlier, England captain Alastair Cook won the toss, with the sunny blue skies overhead providing seemingly ideal conditions to bat first following Friday’s total washout.
But Southee struck in the fourth over to have a static Nick Compton excellently caught head-high by third slip Dean Brownlie for one.
England then made largely untroubled progress during a second-wicket stand of 56 between captain Cook (34) and Jonathan Trott (28).
But with their score on 67, they saw Trott, driving well away from his body, caught behind by McCullum off Wagner for 28.
And next ball left-hander Cook, whose 34 featured six fours, flat-footedly edged recalled seamer Doug Bracewell to Brownlie.