Robert Key (cricketer)

Key made his Test match debut in the second Test against India in 2002, as a replacement for Marcus Trescothick, who had broken his thumb.[32] Chairman of selectors David Graveney said Key was selected because of his "outstanding form for Kent after attending the National Academy" over the winter.[33] Opening the batting with Michael Vaughan, Key made 17 runs in his only innings before being bowled by Ashish Nehra.[34] Retained in the side for the third Test, Key managed scores of 30 and 34 as England succumbed to an innings defeat.[35] However, his performance was marred by him dropping three catches.[36] Key was dropped from the fourth and final Test, with Trescothick replacing him having been rushed back from injury.[37]

After success in domestic cricket and promise shown in his Test appearances previously, Key was selected as part of the squad to play Australia. Despite playing well in a limited overs match against an ACB Chairman's XI; hitting 68,[38] he was not selected to play in the first Test, instead acting as twelfth man. He ended up fielding to a greater extent than he would have imagined, after Simon Jones ruptured knee ligaments while fielding, and took no further part in the match.

Brought back into the side for the second Test for the injured John Crawley,[39] Key made a solitary run in the first innings, batting at number three, before being caught off the bowling of Shane Warne just after the lunch break. Relegated to number five in the second innings, with Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain batting ahead of him, he again made just one before being caught off Andy Bichel.[40]

Key fared better in the third match, played at the WACA Ground in Perth. On a pitch with "exceptional bounce and pace",[41] Key was the only English batsman to keep his wicket intact for a prolonged period, batting passively for 47, the highest score of the innings. He then caught Brett Lee at third man in Australia's only innings, before offering Hussain "stout support" in making 23 second time around.[41][42] England lost the Test match by an innings and 48 runs, a result that ensured that Australia retained the Ashes.

Following a break for the first part of the VB Series of One Day Internationals, England moved to Melbourne for the fourth Test. Unfortunately for Key, he fell for a duck in the first innings, trapped leg before wicket (lbw) second ball by fast bowler Brett Lee. With England following on, Key made a maiden half-century to ensure Australia had to bat again. He eventually fell just after the new ball was taken, caught at second slip for 52.[43][44]

The final Test, played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, saw England attempting to avoid a series whitewash. Key scored three runs in England's first innings, before falling lbw to an innocuous half-volley from Steve Waugh, playing in his last Ashes Test.[45] He scored 14 in his final innings of the tour, before being caught at midwicket, however England had nearly 350 runs on the board by that stage and were on track to complete a consolatory victory. The 2004 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack recorded that Key had "justified his selection ahead of an older player, like Mark Ramprakash, but did not cement his place".[46]

Despite a low-scoring start to the 2003 English cricket season, in which he passed 40 only once in his first seven innings of the season,[47] he kept his place in the Test side for the visit of the touring Zimbabweans. Batting at number five in both Tests, Key failed to make much of an impact, scoring 18 runs in the first match and four in the second. He had reason to feel aggrieved at his first Test dismissal—umpire Steve Bucknor gave him out caught behind, despite Key not hitting the ball.[48]

His inclusion in the One Day International (ODI) squad for the following NatWest Series against Zimbabwe and South Africa owed more to the lack of available players than his own form; he had only passed 40 on one occasion going into the series.[49] Key made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in the opening match of the tournament; he scored 11 before falling to the left-arm spin of Ray Price. Key only played one more match in the series; against South Africa he fell for a golden duck taking a "wild swing" at the first ball he received from Makhaya Ntini.[50] Following England's qualification into the final of the tournament, Key was released from the squad "to have some match-practice in the longer form of the game ahead of the Test series" against South Africa.[51] However, Key did not make an appearance in the series.

Key returned to the Test match side after an excellent start to the 2004 season. He reached 1,000 runs for the season by 2 June, the earliest date the milestone had been reached for 16 years, and had a run of five centuries in seven innings.[6] However, his limited-overs form was not as good—he passed fifty only once all season.[52] Despite this, he was called into the squad for the NatWest Series against the West Indies and New Zealand.

Key's series began with the fifth match of the tournament; against the West Indies at Headingley. With England chasing 160 to win, Key came in at 55 for one, but scored just six before being bowled by Dwayne Bravo. His only other appearance came against New Zealand towards the end of the group stage—Key scored 18 and was playing well before being caught behind.

His place in the Test side was ensured after Mark Butcher pulled out, having been hit from behind in his car and sustaining a whiplash injury.[53] Key took the opportunity, moving toward a maiden Test century with what Wisden described as "powerful driving and pulling".[53] He was dropped twice—Chris Gayle parried an opportunity with Key on 16, while Devon Smith failed to dismiss him when on 58.[54] Key maintained his concentration throughout, even after meeting the Queen in a presentation during the tea interval.[6][53] He brought up his century with a boundary off the bowling of Fidel Edwards, and by the end of the first day had reached 167 not out. He continued positively on the second day, and brought up his maiden double century with four through square leg off Pedro Collins. He was eventually dismissed when he "slashed a wide ball to Brian Lara at backward point", having made 221.[55] In the second innings, he was run out by his captain Michael Vaughan, who went on to score his second century of the match.

The second Test saw Key struggling in the corridor of uncertainty, a characteristic highlighted by Collins, who beat the bat on several occasions before finding the edge to dismiss him.[56] His second innings lasted just seven balls before Key "chipped a simple catch to mid-on", having scored just four.[57]

Key's most valuable innings, according to Wisden, came in the third Test. Despite only scoring six runs in the first innings, Key came to the crease for his second innings with England requiring another 216 runs to take a 3–0 lead in the series. Initially batting with Michael Vaughan, and then with Andrew Flintoff, Key scored an unbeaten 93 to guide England to their target, which was a record fourth innings total to win an Old Trafford Test.[58] His series came to an end when he scored ten runs, in England's ten-wicket victory in the final Test.

Key's performances in the series and his domestic form earned him recognition—he was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the 2005 edition.[6]

Following on from his performances during the series against the West Indies, Key was taken on England's tour of South Africa over the English close-season. However, with Mark Butcher returning to the side following injury, Key lost his place. This was despite him scoring 87 in a warm-up game against a Nicky Oppenheimer XI, a match in which Butcher had scored just six.[59] Returning to the side for the third Test after Butcher had sustained a wrist injury, Key made a duck in the first innings, before "defending resolutely" in accumulating 41 before being stumped charging Nicky Boje.[60]

The fourth Test, played at the Wanderers, saw Key hit 83, in a partnership of 182 with Andrew Strauss that Wisden described as including "hard-hitting support from Key".[61] He added a further eighteen to his match tally in the second innings, a contribution which helped England to an eventual victory. Key returned single figure scores of one and nine in his two innings in the final Test, being dismissed by Shaun Pollock on both occasions in a rain-affected draw.[62]

Key briefly returned to international cricket for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 competition, playing his only Twenty20 International match against the Netherlands during the tournament as a replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen. He scored 10 not out from eight balls in a match where the Netherlands successfully chased their target from the final ball.[63][64]

Records:

• Lord's Cricket Ground second wicket partnership record: 291 with Andrew Strauss, 2004 v West Indies[65]
• Wanderers Stadium second wicket partnership record: 182 with Andrew Strauss, 2004–05 v South Africa[66]

Test centuries:

Career performances:

Career performances: