Daniel Flynn has urged New Zealand to start living up to their potential with an improved batting performance at Edgbaston.
Kiwi batsmen calling for improved display in second ODI
New Zealand batsman Daniel Flynn has urged his team-mates to start living up to their potential by producing an improved batting performance in the second NatWest series clash with England.
The Black Caps head to Edgbaston aiming to bounce back from their opening ODI hammering at Chester-le-Street - the tourists dismissed for just 193 chasing an imposing 307.
During the three-Test Series earlier in the summer, New Zealand failed to reach 250 with the bat on three occasions and were also restricted to just 123-9 in the Twenty20 contest at Old Trafford.
Flynn admits coach John Bracewell's side need an all-round improvement if they are to avenge their opening series defeat and head home with some pride intact by clinching the five-match NatWest series.
He said: "We're frustrated we haven't got a big score yet. We know skill-wise we're more than capable of it.
Confidence
"We proved that in New Zealand during the winter and, if you look at the players we've got, I think we're just as skilful as the England batsmen.
"But it's just a case of producing the runs and putting them on the board."
Flynn hopes New Zealand can take confidence from the way they recovered against England in the winter from losing the two Twenty20 games to take the ODI series 3-1.
"Back in New Zealand, we lost the two Twenty20 matches and then came back and played really well in the one-day series. We know we're capable of it," he said
"It's just a case of putting a performance together on the park.
"Someone has to stand up and lead the way. As a collective unit, we've all under-performed. Individual performances will help that but everyone needs to raise the bar and start performing."
Styris plea
All-rounder Scott Styris, who had been on the receiving end of two 'switch-hit' sixes from Kevin Pietersen at Durham, echoed Flynn's sentiments.
He said: "There needs to be a lot of improvement in the overall team performance. We got comprehensively outplayed.
"We went for 50 more runs than we should have, which means you've got to take more risks as a batting unit as well.
"We just need to get better in all facets, it's as simple as that. There is no magic formula. It is doing the basics a little bit better than what we have been."
After suffering a horrifying blow in the mouth from James Anderson during the second Test at Old Trafford, Flynn insists the incident is slowly being erased from his memory after the injury left him requiring two dental operations.
He said: "At the time, it was unfortunate but I've just tried to put it to the back of my mind and just get on with it and I'm pretty happy with the way I've come back from it.
"I tried to get back into batting as soon as possible, get over it quickly rather than let it linger and think about it too much."
