Seamer Brydon Carse took six for 42 as England dismissed New Zealand for 254 to bring up lunch on the fourth day of the first test in Christchurch on Sunday to move to the brink of victory.
Daryl Mitchell frustrated England with a defiant 84 but the tourists will be comfortable with a victory target of 104 on a good batting pitch with five sessions of the test remaining.
New Zealand resumed in a parlous state at 155-6 with a lead of just four runs and the writing was on the wall when Carse removed Nathan Smith and Matt Henry cheaply in one over to claim his first test five-wicket haul.
Tim Southee, playing his final series, hit his 94th and 95th test sixes to score 12 runs before Joe Root caught him at deep midwicket off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.
There was one concerning moment for England when skipper Ben Stokes pulled up while bowling and handed the ball over to Atkinson to complete the over, even if he did stay on the field.
Carse finally got Mitchell out with the help of a catch by Chris Woakes in the deep to give him a first 10-wicket haul in a test after his 4-64 in the first innings.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Deepa Babington)