Robert Key Cricketer
Robert William Trevor Key (born 12 May 1979) is an English cricketer. He is the captain of Kent County Cricket Club, and a former member of the England Test match and One Day International sides. A right-handed opening batsman, Key made appearances at age-group level for Kent from the age of eleven, moving up until he made his first-class debut in 1998. He made appearances for England's youth sides, and was a member of the side which won the 1998 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Following a season of heavy run-scoring, Key was called up to the England A side in 1999. Following an injury to Marcus Trescothick, Key made his Test debut against India in 2002. He toured Australia during the 2002–03 Ashes series, where he justified his selection ahead of a more experienced player. His One Day International debut came in 2003, against Zimbabwe, however he was dropped from both squads shortly after. Injury to Mark Butcher allowed Key back into the England side for the series against the West Indies in 2004. He scored his maiden Test hundred in the first match of the series, which later became his maiden first-class double century as he scored 221. This performance, coupled with the 93 he scored in the third Test, earned him recognition as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Key's last Test matches came during England's tour of South Africa during 2004–05, where he managed to score 152 runs without being consistent, and despite a one-match return during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, he has remained on the fringes of selection. Key became Kent captain following the 2006 English cricket season, following David Fulton's resignation. He has led Kent to two Twenty20 Cup Finals Day appearances and a Friends Provident Trophy final, and has also captained the England Lions on several occasions.
