BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Key's hard work pays off



By Martin Gough BBC Sport Online cricket

Perhaps the biggest thing in Robert Key's favour as he prepares for an England Test debut against India is his record for rising to the occasion.

Key celebrated his 22nd birthday with a century against the touring Pakistanis last year.

It did not count to league standings, but Key's 112, out of a total of 213 thrilled Kent supporters in a day-night match against a Lashings all-star XI last season.

He's a quick learner and he's always understood what's needed

Kent captain
Matthew Fleming

And South African Allan Donald, who made up the visiting attack alongside Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, was impressed by the youngster.

Key began this season with a career-best 160 against Hampshire, a statement of intent for the summer ahead after a successful time with England's Academy in Adelaide.

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Unfortunately for the opening batsman, though, John Crawley countered with an innings of 272 at Canterbury, and it was he that took the first England spot made available this summer.

It was a more mature Key who took the crease at the beginning this year - a fact the player himself puts down to some tough lessons learned under Rod Marsh at the Academy.

Before that, he said on Sunday, "I used to enjoy myself having winters off and spending time with my friends and my cricket was suffering."

Robert Key factfile

Born: 12/5/79, East Dulwich

Kent debut: 1998

International career: England U17 to Bermuda 1997
England U19 to South Africa 1997-98
England A to Zimbabwe and South Africa 1998-99
ECB National Academy to Australia 2001-02

And the image of a red, sweaty Key is an enduring one from documentaries on the Academy's radical winter term.

However, it was in 2001 that Key came out of his shell, the ton against Pakistan one of four that year as he amassed 1281 first-class runs.

"I'm sure the Academy helped but he can't have needed that much work if it only took one winter to get him where he is now," Kent captain Matthew Fleming told BBC Sport Online.

"He has always had the potential and the talent but it has taken him some time to figure out his best style of play."

Positive play

Fleming believes Australian coach John Inverarity had a massive influence on Key, and the rest of a batting order that flourished last season.

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After almost a decade of under-achievement, David Fulton hit 1892 runs, while Ed Smith and Matthew Walker both prospered from working in a successful group.

Kent skipper Matthew Fleming
Fleming says Kent's batsmen work well together
"In 2000 he was thinking about not getting out, and that stifled the positive aspects of his play," Fleming says of Key.

"The following year he went to concentrating on what he does best - batting and dominating bowlers."

Coach of Kent in 2000, ironically, was former New Zealand batsman John Wright, now at the helm of the Indian team that Key will face on his debut.

Although Wright did not have conspicuous success at Canterbury, Fleming believes the Kiwi will take some pride in the input he has had on Key's career even if his own team is suffering.

Key is most closely associated with taking on fast bowling, but Wright will be able to tell his charges that there are few obvious holes in the batsman's technique.

"His play against pace is a strength but that doesn't mean that his play against spin is a weakness," Fleming explains.

"If they're bowling well, he'll look to keep them out, and if they bowl badly he'll look to hit fours."