New Zealand could be forgiven a moment or two of incredulity at England's post-World Cup transformation.
The Royal London Series hosts may not yet be a winning machine - they trail the Kiwis 2-1 with two to play - but in those three matches so far, they have bludgeoned 1075 runs from 141.2 overs.
The World Cup finalists have conceded 32 sixes and 103 boundaries.
Yet New Zealand bowling coach Dimitri Mascarenhas, who won 34 limited-overs caps for England and had a 17-year career at Hampshire, always knew Eoin Morgan's team had the firepower.
Head coach Mike Hesson describes England, much changed in personnel, as a "completely different team" and one that would have been "scary" with current staff and intent at the World Cup.
Mascarenhas, however, said: "It hasn't surprised me. They've always had potential to play like this."
He predicts more of the same too in the remaining matches, at Trent Bridge on Wednesday and then Chester-le-Street on Saturday.
He said: "The way both teams are playing there's going to be stages you lose wickets . but more often than not, if they keep going the way they are, they're going to score big runs and win more than they lose."
One of the other premises of England's updated theory is that a left-arm pace presence in their attack is highly desirable.
They have one - to New Zealand's two, even after an injury to linchpin Trent Boult - but Mascarenhas does not agree every modern one-day international team must have the variation.
He said: "I wouldn't say it's essential . definitely not. If you're good enough, you will play. There's no point just picking a left-armer for variation.
"To me, you pick your best four or five bowlers for each game. If a left-armer is one of them, brilliant."
Whoever they are, according to Mascarenhas, they must have a good yorker in the armoury - because it is "massive".
He added: "I definitely expected the white ball to do a lot more than it has in these games. It really hasn't done a lot - just swung for a couple of overs for each side.
"That's harder for the bowlers. But as a group, we just have to adapt and try to figure out better ways to take wickets."
Against reformed England, for whom Jos Buttler and Joe Root set the tone with Edgbaston hundreds last week, the Kiwi bowlers have been tested.
Hesson said: "They are very aggressive, especially with the bat. They have hitters from one to 10. They don't allow you to settle, and that puts a lot of pressure on our bowlers."
He can find little comparison between England in this series, and the meek efforts which saw them leave the World Cup so early last winter.
He added: "They're a completely different team, a different team in so many ways. If this side were at the World Cup, I think they'd certainly scare a few teams.
"They haven't nailed it quite yet - you're never going to straight away. But on their day, crikey, they're dangerous."
Source: PA
