England took two wickets before lunch as they scented a chance of victory on the final day of their warm-up match against a New Zealand XI at the Queenstown Event Centre ground.
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes were successful once each, after England declared on their overnight 256 for nine and therefore set their hosts 334 to win in a minimum 90 overs.
After 27 of those, all results were still feasible with the total on 87 for two.
While Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham were posting their second opening stand of 56 in this match, at four an over, the signs were not especially favourable for the tourists.
Under cloud cover which provided handy conditions for Broad and Graham Onions with the new ball, they made no immediate headway.
Rutherford even climbed into an upper-cut which deposited a short ball from Broad high over point and into the enclosure in front of the players' pavilion for six.
Soon afterwards, Broad hit the same batsman on the head with a sharp bouncer.
But it was first-change Woakes who made the breakthrough when Rutherford cut him into the hands of point.
Woakes was rewarded for a much-improved spell from his first-innings efforts, and Broad also put himself in the wickets column in the next over when he switched to a fuller length and bowled a static Carl Cachopa for a third-ball duck.
The more expensive Onions looked a more likely wicket-taker too than he had first time round, but no one could find a way past Latham or Neil Broom up to lunch.
