Australia has assumed control of the first Test after 13 wickets fell on the first day at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

At stumps, Australia was 3 for 147 with Adam Voges on 7 not out and Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 57, after the tourists skittled New Zealand on Friday morning for 183 all out.

There was controversy in the final over, as Voges let an in-swinger from Doug Bracewell go which cannoned into the stumps only for the delivery to be ruled a no-ball by umpire Richard Illingworth.

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Replays showed, however, that Bracewell’s front foot had not crossed the line and that the wicket should have stood.

Earlier, New Zealand’s top order completely failed as the Black Caps lost 5 for 51, then 7 for 97, with Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle running riot on a green deck.

The day had started as a celebration of captain Brendon McCullum’s career so far, with this his penultimate Test before retiring, but his day was blemished with a duck amid his team’s batting collapse.

Hazlewood got plenty of edges to the slips and keeper in his 4 for 42, while Siddle’s radar was on point throughout in a miserly spell, before copping a late hammering from the tailenders in his figures of 3 for 37.

Nathan Lyon also chipped in with 3 for 32, mopping up New Zealand’s tail.

Black Caps saved from catastrophe by lower order fightback

But it was the lower order that added gloss to a sorry looking Black Caps scoreboard as Mark Craig hit a conscientious 41 not out.

Mark Craig’s 41 saved New Zealand from complete disaster. Photo: AAP

Initially a support act to a circumspect Corey Anderson (38), Anderson paired up with number 11 batsman Trent Boult (24) to push the score towards respectability.

The usually aggressive Anderson clubbed six boundaries in his knock before holing out to Khawaja at mid-off, before Boult’s fireworks ended in entertaining fashion, clubbing two consecutive sixes off Nathan Lyon before going for one too many.

Boult looked to hammer Lyon over long-on, only for Khawaja to make a telling catch on the rope, tapping the ball back into play before steadying himself, then retaking the catch to close out the innings.

Before the entertaining tail wag, it was all Australia as New Zealand’s more decorated batsmen all caved in on a pitch that provided plenty of movement.

Tom Latham (6) fell cheaply early on, before Martin Guptill (18) fell several overs later, edging to the slips.

Kane Williamson (16) and debutant Henry Nicholls (8) did not trouble the scorers too much, before McCullum fell for his duck after edging to Warner in the slips.

Tourists make shaky start before Smith, Khawaja steady

Steve Smith top scored for the Aussies on day one. Photo: AAP

Australia’s response was very shaky, with openers Joe Burns and David Warner both failing under pressure from Tim Southee (2 for 22).

Burns fell in the first over, caught behind for a duck, before Warner edged to the keeper with Southee briefly on figures of 2 for 0.

But Khawaja and Smith steadied the ship with a 126-run partnership for the third wicket.

Eventually Smith (71) – who had 10 fours and one six – departed after he blocked a return catch to spinner Mark Craig.

Craig nearly had a second immediately afterwards, as Voges edged his first ball faced wide of slip, but the Western Australian soon steadied, before his error of judgement in the final over of the day.

Khawaja got to 49 before becoming becalmed for several overs, but he finally reached his fourth Test half-century off 87 balls.

The Australians ended the day with the advantage, and the Black Caps will need to strike early when play resumes on day two to avoid the tourists building a big lead.