Key says medium pacers are benefiting from the ball

Kent captain Rob Key says the ball used this season helps bowlers too much.

This season a Tiflex ball is being used in Division Two rather than the Dukes ball being employed in Division One.

After Darren Stevens took seven wickets against Surrey Key told BBC Radio Kent: "They've got to have a serious look at the balls we're playing with.

"Stevo's a part time bowler, as good as he is, and to be unplayable and get Mark Ramprakash out, there's something not quite right."

He added: "Medium pacers are having a field day, they're all getting close to 50 wickets.

"The conditions helped massively. Bowlers like Stevens don't get 7 for 21 unless conditions help and the ball helps them."

Key was talking after day two of Kent's County Championship game with Surrey, where the visitors were bowled out for just 127.

"We've all struggled. I got 70 and that's about as tough as I've ever found it. This year in particular it's a nightmare for batsmen.

"It's hard, the ball is moving around, it's seaming, some people will say 'so what?' but it's back to the days of really having to earn your runs.

"I've been lucky to get runs at the Oval, and at Leicester on a flat pitch but it's a really tough time for batsmen at the moment," Key concluded.

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