Harry Brook scored a brilliant century to drag England right back into the first Test in Christchurch on Friday, driving the tourists to within 29 runs of New Zealand's tally of 348 on 319 for five at the end of day two.
The tourists were well and truly on the ropes at 71-4 in the second session but Brook and Ollie Pope put together a battling partnership of 151 for the fifth wicket to cut the deficit in half by tea.
Both benefited from some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding from the Black Caps before Glenn Phillips produced a gully catch for the ages off the bowling of Tim Southee to remove Pope for 77.
Brook, having brought up his half century with one of his two sixes, forged on to pass 2,000 career runs and secured his seventh century in 22 Tests when he sent one of his 10 fours racing to the Hagley Oval boundary.
The 25-year-old reached 132 from 163 deliveries at stumps with his captain Ben Stokes alongside him on 37 not out and English hopes of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series very much revived.
All-rounder Smith finished the day with figures of two for 86, having experienced both the joy and the frustrations of the longest form of the game.
The last of a half dozen dropped catches by Black Caps came off Smith's bowling when skipper Tom Latham put down his counterpart Stokes at short cover a few overs before the close of play.
"I thought we bowled pretty well in periods but yeah, England batted well to get themselves into this position," said Smith.
"A couple of catches go to hand there, and it's a completely different story. They got a couple of good partnerships and we just need to break (this one) with the new ball tomorrow."
Earlier, Harry Brook and Ollie Pope hit back at New Zealand with half centuries that took England to 174 for four at tea after the hosts had removed their top order on the second day of the first Test at Christchurch on Friday.
England finally dismissed the Black Caps for 348 in the opening session but their reply was immediately set back when Zak Crawley fell for a duck with Jacob Bethell and Joe Root following him cheaply in the last over before lunch.
Ben Duckett, the other opener, tried to get the scoring moving but holed out in the deep for 46 trying an ambitious pull shot off Will O'Rourke to leave the tourists reeling on 71-4 at Hagley Oval.
Brook's innings was by no means chanceless -- Tom Latham and Tim Southee both missed one good chance to take a thick edge in the slips -- but he rode his luck to bring up his 10th Test half century with a six.
Pope, who dropped down the order as England's emergency wicketkeeper, joined him two overs later with a single to the leg side and will resume for the final session on 59 not out.
Brook had contributed an unbeaten 54 to the partnership of 103 and will need to stick around for a while if England are to make up the remaining 174-run deficit.
All-rounder Nathan Smith was the standout bowler for New Zealand, removing fellow Test debutant Bethell for 10 before Joe Root, playing his 150th Test, chopped on for a duck four balls later.
Earlier, seamer Brydon Carse took 4-64 and spinner Shoaib Bashir 4-69 for England but an unbeaten 58 from Glenn Phillips helped the home side extend their overnight tally by 29 runs at the cost of their last two wickets.
