Key described his side's Twenty20 defeat to Somerset as "rubbish"

Kent skipper Rob Key has been told he is not far away from an England recall, after being left out of the squad for the decisive Ashes Test.

Key was in the frame to replace Ravi Bopara at the Oval, but the selectors went for Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott.

"I believe I'm the man to bat at number three," Key told BBC Radio Kent.

"But I got a call which was very kind of the selectors, just as a courtesy to say 'you're not in there, but you're not far away, just keep scoring runs'."

We were favourites in Twenty20 and mucked it up so we've got to make sure we do it right in the Championship Rob Key

The 30-year-old added: "I just need to build now and make sure I keep scoring runs.

"I've seen a lot of people have a few chances at number three for England and I'd like to have another crack at it."

It was a disappointing weekend for Key, who saw his side knocked out of the Twenty20 Cup by Somerset at the semi-final stage.

But with Kent currently topping Division Two of the County Championship, Key says his main ambition now is to win promotion.

"With the position we're in now, we're favourites to go up," he said.

"But we were favourites in the Twenty20 and mucked it up so we've got to make sure we do it right in the Championship."

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