four in typically aggressive fashion.
McCullum, much praised for his dynamism during New Zealand’s run to the World Cup final, ignored the difficulties of batting in overcast conditions to pull Ben Stokes for six.
But he gave his wicket away after an outside-edge off an attempted pull against Wood flew to Root at third man.
McCullum faced just 38 balls, including six fours and a six.
Wood, denied a first Test wicket on Friday by an umpire review for a marginal no-ball, saw fortune again turn in his favour when Buttler held another superb catch to dismiss Corey Anderson off a genuine leg-glance.
Williamson, who survived a stumping chance on 92 on Friday, was then given another reprieve when he guided the first ball of Stokes’s new spell behind only for Ian Bell to drop the second slip catch.
It was the second time in the match that Bell had dropped a slip catch off the unlucky Durham all-rounder.
Williamson was eventually out when an inside edge off his pad against Ali was caught by Gary Ballance at backward short leg.
Two balls later Mark Craig was lbw for a duck but Watling kept the scoreboard ticking over.
And Test debutant Matt Henry got off the mark by driving Ali for four to bring up New Zealand’s 500.
Score Board
New Zealand won toss
England 1st innings 389 all-out (J Root 98, B Stokes 92; Boult 4-79)
New Zealand 1st innings
M J Guptill c Ballance b Broad 70
T W M Latham lbw b Ali 59
K S Williamson c Ballance b Ali 132
L R P L Taylor c Buttler b Broad 62
*B B McCullum c Root b Wood 42
C J Anderson c Buttler b Wood 9
†B J Watling not out 47
M D Craig lbw b Ali 0
T G Southee c Wood b Anderson 11
M J Henry not out 8
Extras (b 26, lb 34, w 6, nb 1) 67
Total (8 wickets; 127 overs) 507
To bat: T A Boult
Fall: 1-148, 2-148, 3-337, 4-403, 5-420, 6-470, 7-470, 8-493
Bowling: Anderson 29-7-88-1 (1w); Broad 26-4-77-2 (1w); Wood 25-2-82-2 (1nb); Stokes 21-2-105-0; Ali 24-3-89-3; Root 2-0-6-0
Test debuts: A Lyth and M A Wood (England); M J Henry (New Zealand)
Umpires: M Erasmus (South Africa) and S Ravi (India). TV umpire: R J Tucker (Australia). Match referee: D C Boon (Australia)