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GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Stephen Fleming makes no bones about the benefits of losing a cricket World Cup warm-up to Bangladesh in Barbados last month.
The two-wicket reversal abruptly erased any lingering complacency following New Zealand's stunning Chappell-Hadlee Trophy triumph over Australia.
It is also considered the catalyst for an unbeaten Cup run that should stretch to six games when they play Ireland in the Super Eights stage here on Monday (Tuesday NZT).
Fleming alluded to the positive impact of that setback after New Zealand thrashed Bangladesh by nine wickets in Antigua yesterday, saying it set his side up perfectly for the tournament proper.
While the squad may have experienced a collective wake-up call on March 6, Scott Styris had his personal epiphany 10 days later in St Lucia.
The allrounder, buoyed by two unbeaten 80s and a regular collection of wickets, traced his rich vein of form in the Caribbean to simply being named in the starting 11 for New Zealand's opening group C match against England.
Until he justified selection with a man-of-the-match performance at Beausejour Stadium -- by initiating an English collapse before scoring a composed 87 not out after New Zealand were in trouble at three for two -- Styris, 31, was on edge despite playing in his most productive cricketing environment.
Styris has fond memories of the Caribbean after making a test century on debut in 2002 and recording his career-best one-day bowling figures of six for 25 later on the trip.
History indicated he also had no cause to fear the World Cup concept after averaging 53.60 in South Africa in 2003.
But an underwhelming return from a back injury realised just 67 runs from four innings -- spanning the tri-series in Australia and the Chappell-Hadlee series -- had him concerned, if not exactly fearing for his future.
His medium pace bowling and vast experience was always going to relegate specialist batsman Peter Fulton to the outer but Styris was anxious to pull his weight.
England duly provided the platform and Styris has gone from strength to strength with three half-centuries in four innings -- a 258-run aggregate, second only to Fleming among the Black Caps -- and eight wickets at an average of 15.5.
Those statistics make happy reading for Styris, particularly after some post Chappell-Hadlee series soul searching.
"It's been fantastic. I didn't know where I was in the selectors' minds but I guess I'm happy they picked me in the first game we played against England," he said.
"I always thought I was hitting the ball well but I kept getting out and I was thinking 'it's not happening here'.
"In the first game against England it gave me a rhythm I was happy with. It's the best thing that could have happened to me."
His knock against the West Indies in Antigua encapsulated a studious approach before getting into stride.
Styris eked just four runs from his first 24 balls faced but was unbeaten at the close on 80 from 90 deliveries.
Given his past success in the West Indies, surely the World Cup could not be held in a better location for the Hamiltonian-turned Aucklander.
Styris agrees, though only to a point.
"It's not so much the West Indies, I just think I'm a better player overseas, I'm not sure why that is," he said.
"Because we play a lot of cricket in conditions like this, subcontinent-type conditions, I've done pretty well here.
"I enjoy playing on lower, slower wickets. I feel I can get into the game more, it suits my bowling and as a batsman I can work it around and bat through to the 45th over."
Styris hopes the curator at Providence Stadium in Georgetown conforms to the pitch production trend so far, as New Zealand close in on a semifinal berth and potential tilt at the final in Barbados on April 28.
The 128-game veteran sensed the belief was growing in the squad despite the usual injury setbacks.
"We know we have a chance to win, so why not give it everything you've got and see if we can? I know all the guys are viewing it that way."
The next step in that process starts tomorrow when New Zealand practice for the first time since arriving on the South American mainland from Antigua.
They have four sessions scheduled before playing the Irish for the first time.
- NZPA
