A counter-attacking 67 not out by Ross Taylor helped New Zealand to 202 for four when bad light ended play after just 54 overs on the first day of the second Test against England at Old Trafford on Friday.
Taylor led a New Zealand recovery after Daniel Flynn was hit in the mouth by a James Anderson bouncer and was forced to retire hurt in the afternoon session. He will visit a dentist having had an upper front tooth knocked out.
The tourists, after winning the toss, reached 80 for no loss to record their highest opening partnership in almost four years, but they were rocked by two wickets from Ryan Sidebottom in a 15-minute period before lunch.
First, Aaron Redmond left a ball swinging in to him only to lose a bail over his off stump. Sidebottom, bowling around the wicket, initially did not seem to realise he had got him out.
James Marshall departed in Sidebottom's next over when he was adjudged lbw by umpire Simon Taufel. Replays showed the ball pitched in line of off stump.
In the afternoon session the pitch seemed to play faster and opener Jamie How's resistance ended after lunch when he edged a perfect leg-cutter from Anderson to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose for 64.
Three overs later the hard-hitting Brendon McCullum was caught at slip by Paul Collingwood off spinner Monty Panesar for 11 after a deflection off the wicketkeeper's glove. McCullum had begun the over with a four and a six over midwicket.
BLOODY INJURY
At 136-4, Flynn missed his hook shot against Anderson and the ball cannoned into his mouth via the grille of his helmet. He immediately fell to the floor, spitting blood and was forced to retire for four, visibly missing a tooth.
His replacement Jacob Oram was equally uncomfortable against Anderson and was struck on the top of his helmet in the same over after edging his first ball for four. He received another painful blow on his left hand in Anderson's next over.
Taylor decided to counter attack and reached his fifty with the second of two square cut boundaries in one Anderson over. He also hooked Anderson for six over backward square leg, having faced 75 balls at stumps while Oram was unbeaten on 22.
Darrell Hair, umpiring his first Test since being dropped from the elite panel almost two years ago, had to make his first decision at 12-0 in the fifth over after Sidebottom struck How on the pads in front of middle stump.
Replays vindicated Hair's decision not to give How out lbw by suggesting the ball might have bounced over the stumps.
England were unchanged from the drawn first test at Lord's, while New Zealand brought in Iain O'Brien for Tim Southee.
