After somehow creating a first-innings lead of 31 - thanks to Jonny Bairstow's 162, a fine 97 from Jamie Overton, and trademark entertainment from Stuart Broad - England then had New Zealand 168 for 5 when rain brought a premature close
Headingley (day three of five): New Zealand 329 & 168-5, England 360 - New Zealand lead by 137 runs with five second-innings remaining
England edged into the ascendancy after another absorbing day of Test cricket at Headingley.
After somehow creating a first-innings lead of 31 - thanks to Jonny Bairstow's best Test score on home shores, a fine 97 from Jamie Overton, and trademark entertainment from Stuart Broad - England then had New Zealand 168 for 5 when rain brought a premature close to proceedings.
The Kiwis had been 125 for 1 and coasting in their second innings just after tea, but an excellent evening session for the home side ensured that the momentum fell in their favour.
Four wickets fell for 36 runs in a little less than 16 overs to leave the game tantalisingly poised going into day four.
Earlier, England moved their overnight 264 for 6 onto 360 all out to gain a marginal first-innings advantage which was unthinkable when they were reduced to 55 for 6 on Friday.
Jonny Bairstow puts an arm around Jamie Overton following his dismissal for 97 [Stu Forster/Getty Images]
Overton, the Surrey allrounder, advanced to 97 with a series of tentative strokes on the morning of day three but could not reach a second first-class hundred. He was caught at first slip by Daryl Mitchell attempting to drive Trent Boult.
Headingley fell silent and then rose to its feet to applaud Overton from the field, with Bairstow running 50 yards to put a consoling arm around his teammate. The pair had added 241 together for the seventh wicket to completely change the game.
Bairstow had by that time already completed the second fastest 150 by any England player in Tests but he largely played second fiddle as Broad emerged from the pavilion with a sense of playful destructiveness.
Launching anything too full down the ground, and not afraid to swipe at anything short, Broad made 42 from 36 balls before he was bowled by Tim Southee.
Bairstow soon followed, caught trying to hit his 25th boundary of the innings, while Jack Leach was lbw to Southee to round off England’s innings.
In response, after the early loss of Will Young - caught at third slip by Ollie Pope off Matt Potts - New Zealand rallied.
England have a narrow advantage in the third Test [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
Tom Latham ended a wretched run of scores with his first half-century of the series and his captain Kane Williamson looked in good touch alongside him.
Once Latham fell after tea, however, edging Overton through to Bairstow, New Zealand lost their balance.
A rain break added fresh zip to the innings, and from the first ball following the resumption, Pope took a superb one-handed catch at short leg to claim the wicket of Devon Conway off Leach.
Williamson quickly followed, once again dismissed by Potts as he nicked through while attempting to drive off the back foot, and Henry Nicholls' miserable run against left-arm spin continued as he gave Leach a relatively simple caught and bowled chance.
By the time the rain returned, then, England had restored their two nemeses to the crease. Whether Mitchell and Tom Blundell can continue their runscoring trend on Sunday will likely determine whether or not Ben Stokes can secure a whitewash against the world champions in his first series as captain.
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