New Zealand started the day in a dominating position at 250-1 after losing the toss and being sent in to bat. But England strongly reasserted itself when it claimed three wickets for 62 runs in the first session and its fight back continued when it removed Brendon McCullum (38) and Dean Brownlie (36) between lunch and tea.
Tim Southee was 35 not out and wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling was unbeaten on 13 at the break as New Zealand tried to halt its retreat from its overnight position of strength.
New Zealand was 373 when its sixth wicket fell and England had played itself back into the match, but the aggressive partnership between Southee and Watling which had added 41 from 50 balls by tea, left the deciding match of the series more evenly poised.
James Anderson dismissed Kane Williamson before lunch for 91, then removed Brownlie in the second hour of the second session to lift his Test wicket tally to 297, edging closer to becoming the fourth English player to take 300 Test wickets.
New Zealand seemed confounded as the second day progressed by its inability to take to build on its powerful position at the start of play. Williamson added only 8 runs to his overnight total when he was out in the fifth over of the day and Fulton took 22 overs to add 12 runs when he fell to Steve Finn for 136.
Monty Panesar then caught Ross Taylor for 19 from his own bowling and New Zealand went to lunch at 312-4, having let its controlling position in the deciding match of the three Test series ebb away.
England's resurgence continued between lunch and tea, although McCullum and Brownlie made every effort to re-establish New Zealand's position.
McCullum took 83 minutes to assemble his 38 runs and hit six boundaries but he wasn't able to bludgeon New Zealand back into control. Nor was Brownlie, who took over two hours to make 36 and found the short boundaries at Eden Park on six occasions.
Panesar bowled with superb control of flight and length throughout the second day, inviting the New Zealand batsmen to hit out, then frustrating them in their attempt to do so. He had only one wicket by tea and only the three in the series to date but he bowled 17 maidens.
Anderson moved onto 297 Test wickets with the dismissal of Brownlie, who was superbly caught at gully by Nick Compton. Brownlie's slash outside off stump carried low and fast to Compton who made a comfortable catch.
Part-time medium pacer Jonathan Trott then quashed the threat posed by McCullum. After the New Zealand captain had twice dragged bottom edges from Trott close to his stumps, he tried to cut close to his body, got an outside edge and provided wicketkeeper Matt Prior - standing up at the stumps - his third catch of the day. Prior also caught Williamson and Fulton.
Anderson had 2-79 and Finn had 2-104 by tea.
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