On the field, England debutant Matthew Potts and recalled great James Anderson took four wickets apiece as New Zealand were dismissed for just 132 before the home side collapsed later in the day.
Potts finished with superb figures of 4/13 in 9.2 overs and Anderson, who had earlier reduced the world test champions to 2/2, took 4/66 in what was England's first match under their new leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and red-ball coach Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand skipper.
New Zealand were in dire straits at 7/45 after captain Kane Williamson's decision to bat first. But all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme's unbeaten 42 off 50 balls bolstered the total, along with useful contributions from pacemen Tim Southee (26) and Trent Boult (14).
Stokes, who dismissed last man Boult, might not have bowled at all but for Durham teammate Potts going off with cramp in his left leg.
Zak Crawley launched England's reply with a brisk 43 before he was caught behind off Kyle Jamieson to spark a slump that saw seven wickets fall for just 41 runs on a good pitch beneath sunny blue skies — seemingly ideal batting conditions.
Boult took 2/15 in 10 overs and the towering Jamieson 2/20 in seven.
"We're back in the game," Jamieson told reporters. "So it's certainly nice to be sitting here after how it looked around lunchtime."
Joe Root struck a trademark forcing shot boundary off de Grandhomme only to be caught in the gully playing a similar stroke off the same bowler for 11.
Stokes and Jonny Bairstow both fell for just one apiece, before Boult brought Potts back down to earth by removing the newcomer for a duck in his first test innings.
New Zealand had been in dire straits following Williamson's decision to bat first after winning the toss.
But de Grandhomme, who unlike so many of his under-prepared teammates had got used to English conditions by played for county side Surrey this season, steadied the ship.
Anderson and Stuart Broad, England's two most successful test bowlers of all time with over 1000 wickets between them prior to this match, had both been controversially left out of a 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean earlier this year.
But the 39-year-old Anderson was soon back in the groove as he removed openers Will Young and Tom Latham with the aid of two slip catches, the first a brilliant diving one-handed effort, by Bairstow.
New Zealand's Devon Conway, who made a double century at Lord's in his test debut last year, fell for just three on Thursday when caught by Bairstow off Broad.
Matt Parkinson made a four-hour car journey from Manchester having being summoned as England's first concussion substitute in place of Jack Leach after his fellow spinner was ruled out following a fall on his head chasing a ball to the boundary in the morning session.
