England batsman Joe Root tried to remain optimistic after admitting his disappointment that his side had given New Zealand a way back into the first Test at Lord's.

The hosts looked to be cruising midway through yesterday's evening session on 159 for two, with Root and Jonathan Trott (56) putting on 123 for the third wicket.

However, Tim Southee pegged England back by sparking a mini-collapse when he bowled Root for 71. The Black Caps seamer also accounted for Jonny Bairstow and Matt Prior as England closed on 180 for six, with Steven Finn and Ian Bell just managing to survive in the closing stages on an increasingly difficult pitch.

Root said: "I was very disappointed not to kick on and after giving them a sniff, we're quite down about it. We need to get going [today], Belly battling for us with Finny, hopefully we can get a few more on the board."

Earlier, James Anderson had created an opportunity for England to take charge by completing his 13th five-wicket haul.

Anderson (five for 47), fresh from passing 300 Test wickets on Friday, and Steven Finn (four for 63) did most of the damage as the tourists lost their last six wickets for 52 to be bowled out for 207 yesterday morning.

Then, after England openers Alastair Cook and Nick Compton went with the score on 36, Root and Trott took over – until Southee, who had spent much of the evening session off the pitch with a hand problem, returned to earn a trio of dismissals and limit the home lead to 205.

Cook was first to go, falling to Trent Boult when Dean Brownlie took an outstanding catch diving to his left at third slip.

Compton was then bowled through the gate by a Neil Wagner inswinger, before Trott and Root shared a seamless stand in which only their inexplicably faulty running between the wickets gave the Kiwis much hope.

New Zealand were compromised by the absence of Southee and wicketkeeper BJ Watling – who banged his knee trying to run out Root on 40 – had to hand the gloves to Brendon McCullum. Watling's injury was to be assessed last night.

Five New Zealanders spent some time off the field at different stages, including spinner Bruce Martin, whose poor form was another handicap, given his team's stretched resources.

The Kiwis did not bowl well at Root, giving him the freedom to score freely square of the wicket on the off-side on the way past a 78-ball 50 which contained six fours.

It was not until Southee returned that the Yorkshireman succumbed, bowled off an inside-edge on the forward-defence to end a partnership of 123.

Trott reached a patient, 128-ball 50 shortly afterwards with a touch of luck, dropped at slip by Ross Taylor off part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson for the two runs he needed.

But Southee bowled Bairstow with an inswinger, then got Prior for the second time in the match as the wicketkeeper pulled tamely to square-leg to bag a pair. When Williamson then turned one to bowl Trott, England had foregone much of their advantage.

Anderson had bowled unchanged from the nursery end in the morning, and was rewarded for his skilful efforts with a spell of 9-4-15-2.

McCullum went for just two to the fourth ball of another cloudy day, edging an attempted drive behind off Stuart Broad and finding no refuge in DRS.

Williamson (60) had passed a painstaking half-century, but eventually fell to Anderson via a thin edge behind down the leg-side.

Southee targeted Finn for three successive fours in the tall seamer's first over, only to mis-time a catch into the off-side.

Anderson then made short work of Martin, but it was Finn who took the last two wickets in the same over, Watling wafting another edge behind and last man Boult fencing a simple catch to gully.

Bell had to stay at the team hotel yesterday morning, suffering from flu which kept him off the field for much of the day, and meant therefore he was batting at number eight in England's second innings.