The early days of Daniel Flynn's international career will be most remember for him walking off Old Trafford with a mouthful of blood and two fewer teeth. Such an injury could have severely dented the confidence of a young batsman, but Flynn is made of sterner stuff. He made his first-class debut for Northern Districts on the back of several impressive performances in the 2003-04 Under-19 World Cup, in which he captained New Zealand. A stockily built, powerful left-hander, he struck his maiden hundred against Central Districts in December 2005 but then followed two mixed seasons, and it wasn't until 2007-08 that he showed his true colours - particularly in one-dayers. A ferocious 143 from 117 balls took Northern Districts to a big win over Wellington in January, and his 149 (from 141 balls) in February earned him a call-up to New Zealand's Twenty20 squad, replacing the injured Jacob Oram. He did not get much opportunity in his early games but was named for the Test and ODI tours of England - where he debuted at Lord's - and earned a national contract for 2008-09. He is currently trying to cement his place in the middle order.
Will Luke June 2008