New Zealand captain McCullum was on a pugnacious 52, while wicketkeeper Watling was 19 not out at the break with the pair needing to bat for at least the rest of the day if the home side are to try to save the game.
McCullum and Watling are the last recognised batsmen in New Zealand's lineup. The follow-on target is 266 and with how advanced the game is, it appears likely a draw or England win are the only two possible results remaining.
Showers are predicted for the fourth day's play on Sunday with play on Monday's final day expected to be marginal at best with persistent rain forecast in the Wellington region by New Zealand's MetService.
England had scored 465 in the first innings, courtesy of centuries from Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott and half centuries from Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior.
New Zealand had started the day already in trouble at 66/3 with Kane Williamson on 32 and Dean Brownlie on eight, though both had seemed not to have been too troubled by England's bowlers late on Friday on the Basin Reserve pitch.
That pattern continued on Saturday with both looking to have settled quickly before Williamson drove at a Stuart Broad delivery that popped back to the pace bowler who took the return catch.
Williamson's dismissal for 42 reduced the hosts to 85-4, which only got worse in the next over when Brownlie was trapped in front by James Anderson for 18.
The New Zealand batsman referred the decision to the television official but the technology showed the ball, while it hit him high on the back pad, still would have cannoned into the stumps.
England had taken control of the match on Friday after the hosts had threatened to restrict them to under 400 before Prior produced a counter-attacking innings of 82 from 99 balls.
The visitors were eventually dismissed shortly before tea then Broad captured two wickets in successive balls midway through the final session to leave New Zealand in dire straits at 48/3.
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