are not exactly unknow in New Zealand.
However, the raised seam of the English Duke ball provides an additional challenge for batsman used to flatter balls elsewhere in the world.
Left-armers Trent Boult and Neil Wagner proved a handful for England's bastsmen in New Zealand and now Alastair Cook, the England captain, will look to his side to respond in kind.
England seam-bowling all-rounder Stuart Broad is well aware of his skipper's requirements, saying "Regardless of what New Zealand did as a bowling unit. we didn't swing the ball.
"So it needs to be looked at, and we hare looked at it. we know we can bowl a lot better than in New Zealand."
Discipline too would be key, according to Broad, with England missing.
"Regardless of whether you are moving the ball, you can still put six balls in the over into the right area and we probably didn't do that as a unit in New Zealand," said the Nottinghamshire allrounder.