Ian Bell and Joe Root had successfully negotiated the first 105 minutes of play at Eden Park and had been looking set to go into the lunch break before Boult struck on the first delivery with the second new ball trapping Root in front for 29.
Bell was then dropped by Dean Brownlie at fourth slip in the final over before lunch from Boult, before Jonny Bairstow was dropped by Kane Williamson in the gully two balls later.
Bell had curbed his natural game to play the anchor role plodding his way to 41 from 181 balls, while Jonny Bairstow was on six with England 158 for five at the break.
England resumed in brilliant sunshine on 90 for four and with little chance of reaching the 481 needed for victory, needed to bat out the entire day to save the Test and series after the first two games ended in rain-affected draws.
Bell (8) had been joined by Root on Tuesday after nightwatchman Steven Finn had fallen in the final over of play on Monday and the pair were barely troubled by New Zealand's attack, with left-arm seamer Boult getting just two deliveries to pitch and swing away from the England batsmen.
Boult, however, returned with the second new ball when it was taken about 15 minutes before the break and was immediately successful trapping Root to reduce the visitors to 150 for five.
The left-armer, who took six wickets in the first innings, was unlucky not to have inflicted further pain on England with the two dropped chances in the final over before the break, but should be a concern after the break with the new ball.
New Zealand had put themselves into strong position to win their first Test series against England since 1999 when they dismissed three top-order batsmen on Monday.
Nick Compton fell early for two, before Jonathan Trott (37) and Alastair Cook (43) were dismissed after tea.
Both Trott and Cook were seen as crucial to England batting out the final day, though both fell driving at full deliveries with England captain Cook falling to part-time offspinner Kane Williamson.
Williamson also had Finn well caught at silly point by Tim Southee off the first ball of the final over on Monday.
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