The helmet worn by New Zealand cricketer Daniel Flynn, who suffered injuries when a bouncer smashed his helmet grill, offers little protection, British researchers into safety equipment say.

The 23-year-old is missing a bottom tooth after four separate visits to the dentist because of a England fast bowler James Anderson’s bouncer that smashed into his face. The blow on the head left Flynn with nausea for five days.

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, experiments on helmets at Loughborough University over the past few months have shown helmets such as that worn by Flynn offer little protection.

Batting gloves have been essential items since bowling turned overarm in the 1860s, and helmets were first introduced in the 1970s.

Loughborough’s sports technology institute — an organization that works with sporting bodies and manufacturers to produce cutting edge equipment — has been testing various helmets and gloves.

Its experiments largely replicated the alarming slow motion replays of the visor bars bending outwards on impact as Flynn took the Anderson bouncer full in the face.