Bell strikes with ball to unlock Key's defences

Warwickshire 252 - Kent 270-3

After Ian Bell's dismissal for a single on the opening day, Robert Key did not have too much to beat in the latest battle for supremacy among the contenders for England's Ashes line-up.

Kent's Key, who lost out to his Warwickshire rival in the side chosen for the Bangladesh series, did not pass up the opportunity, recovering from the early departure of his opening partner, David Fulton, with a fluent performance which included 12 boundaries as he and Martin van Jaarsveld rebuilt the Kent innings with a partnership of 138 for the second wicket.

How ironic, then, that he should be denied the century that looked his for the taking by none other than Bell, whose value to his side as a bowler might not quite match his worth as a batsman but who is developing a happy knack of derailing opponents when they least expect it.

Bell's bowling is a thing of neither frightening speed nor outstanding craft but his appearance in the attack invariably confronts the batsman with the touch of guile and change of tempo that can fatally disrupt his rhythm. So it was with Key, who played all around one to be leg before for 75.

Little wonder Bell celebrated. Having broken that dangerous partnership, he struck again 11 balls later to dismiss Van Jaarsveld, whose edging of an expansive drive resulted in a stupendous slip catch by Jonathan Trott, whose 18 catches make him the most effective outfielder in the First Division this season.

Nothing he or his colleagues could do could deny Kent the lead, however, as Darren Stevens compiled his sixth half-century of the campaign. It was scant consolation, though, for failing in their appeal yesterday against an eight-point penalty imposed for a substandard pitch at Maidstone.

Warwickshire suffered for the loss of Heath Streak, who limped off with a groin injury after bowling only 25 balls, although their position might have been much worse. While he was still fit, Streak had extended an extraordinary ninth-wicket partnership with Carter to 97 before, having been dropped in the slips on 38, he was lbw to Simon Cook for 51. Carter went on splendidly to 82, hitting four of his dozen fours off the reel against Amjad Khan before Justin Kemp, who he had dispatched for six, had his revenge, by which point the last two wickets had put on 136 and Warwickshire, having been 52 for 6, had claimed two batting points.