Home team again struggle in their middle-order as Kiwi bowlers set up their side.
New Zealand will be chasing 228 for victory in the first one-day international against England, after the home side rallied late in their innings at Lords.
However, Alastair Cook and his men were left to wonder what might have been as three England batsman in the top-order failed to go on with a start to their innings.
Four batsmen were dismissed in the 30s, with Jonathan Trott top scoring for the home side with just 37, to go with solid totals by Cook, Root (both 30) and Chris Woakes (36).
Cook and Ian Bell put on 45 for the first stand before the later was dismissed by Tim Southee (3-37 off 10), after he drove as a swinging with the edge flying through to Luke Ronchi for his first catch as a New Zealand player.
Southee then got rid of the English skipper when a full ball on the angle found he edge with Ronchi taking the catch to make it 50-2.
Root was the first to be given out after trying a rash shot, when he looked to reverse sweep Nathan McCullum as Black Caps started to claw them way back into the contest at 117-3.
Trott was then caught in two minds between trying to reach the boundary and clear it with a slog-sweep and only succeeded in guiding his shot to the hands of Ross Taylor.
Eoin Morgan came and went without troubling the scorers much as the home side fell to be 126-5 as the run-rate began to dip below four-an-over.
Woakes and Jos Buttler added 33 for the next wicket before Kane Williamson got the wicket of Buttler with a flatter ball he tried to reverse sweep and only managed to loop it straight to point.
Some late innings hitting by the lower-order dug the home side out of trouble towards the end of their innings as Woakes, Tim Bresnan (25) and Graeme Swann (15) gave their side a respectable total to defend.
However, if they are not able to take early wickets, and Brendon McCullum is able to get away to a flyer the English side might have a tough task in winning the first of the three game series.
England v New Zealand
Played at Lords
Toss won by New Zealand
England
A. Cook c Ronchi b Southee 30
I. Bell c Ronchi b Southee 18
J. Trott c Taylor b N McCullum 37
J. Root b N McCullum 30
E. Morgan c Ronchi b McClenaghan 6
J. Buttler c McClenaghan b Williamson 14
C. Woakes c Guptill b Mills 36
T. Bresnan b Southee 25
G. Swann c N McCullum b McClenaghan 15
J. Anderson not out 5
Extras (lb4, w6, nb1) 11
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 227
Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Bell), 2-30 (Cook), 3-117 (Root), 4-124 (Trott), 5-126 (Morgan), 6-159 (Buttler), 7-182 (Woakes), 8-216 (Bresnan), 9-227 (Swann)
Did not bat: J Dernbach
Bowling: McClenaghan 10-0-49-2 (1w); Mills 10-0-36-1; Southee 10-2-37-3 (1nb, 2w); N McCullum 10-0-34-2 (1w); Franklin 4-0-29-0; Williamson 6-0-38-1 (2w)
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Luke Ronchi (wkt), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan
COMMENTS