Key goes before lunch against leaders Gloucestershire

Kent v Gloucestershire, LV County Championship Day one, Beckenham.
By Mark Pennell
ROB KEY“S annus horribilis continued on his home-town ground in Beckenham today where the Kent skipper was dismissed for 33 in his side“s lunchtime total of 94 for two against championship Division 2 leaders Gloucestershire.
Having elected to bat first on the hottest day of the summer, Key undoubtedly hoped to fill his boots on another cracking pitch at Worsley Bridge Road but sadly his poor run of form continued with a painstaking 33 in 88 minutes.
The former England bat might have gone without scoring when, in the fourth over of the day he edged a good ball from James Franklin to first slip, but Craig Spearman was unable to hold onto the chance to his left which flew for four to third man to get Key underway.
Sam Northeast, deputising for Joe Denly who is away on England Lions duty, opened his boundary account with a neat clip through mid-wicket and then doubled his tally by rocking back to pull a short one from left-armer Franklin through mid-wicket.
But next ball up Franklin ran one across the body of Northeast (10) who nibbled outside off to edge to wicketkeeper Stephen Snell and make it 21-1 after eight overs.
Key and No3 Geraint Jones added 54 in 13 overs for the second wicket though neither player truly looked comfortable on this quick, bouncy pitch. Jones nicked wide of the slips for a streaky four while Key remained hesitant, his only stroke of authority coming with a nicely-timed straight four against Steven Kirby.
With the score on 75 Key“s stay came to an end when he nicked a ball from Jonathan Lewis to first slip where Spearman atoned for his earlier error by taking a sharp low catch.
Jones (36) and Martin van Jaarsveld (14) survived through to the interval without further alarm.