An otherwise even contest changed in the hour before lunch on Sunday as New Zealand slumped to 29 for six.

It was the third time this year that New Zealand had been six down for fewer than 40 runs.

In the first test against South Africa at Cape Town in January they were six down for 28 before being dismissed for 45. In the next test, in Port Elizabeth, they were 39 for six before being bowled out for 121.

"For so long in this game we were up with the play and at times we were dictating terms," said McCullum, himself lbw to Broad for eight. "Within an hour the game turned on its head.

"Our confidence started to subside and the difference between the two teams came down to that one hour of madness.

"We've had many of these experiences before and I think we've put distance between the last time we felt this sort of pain.

"We've taken some significant steps forward in the last little while but today was undoubtedly a step backwards.

"You've got to give credit where credit's due and Stuart Broad's spell of bowling was high class.

"He swung the ball beautifully, he was able to get the odd ball to hold its line up the slope, his lengths were impeccable."

The collapse was particularly hard on Tim Southee, whose match haul of 10 for 108 saw him become only the second New Zealander, after fellow seamer Dion Nash in 1994, to take 10 wickets in a Lord's test.

Southee insisted he did not feel let down by his teammates.

"No one goes out there to do that deliberately," he said. "I'm sure we'll learn from that. The beauty of the game is in a few days time we've got a chance to do it all again against the same team."

The second test begins on Friday at Headingly.