Captain Rob Key praised his bowling attack after they helped Kent pick up their first win of the season with an eight-wicket victory against Surrey.

Spinner Adam Riley stood out in particular for the home side, picking up match figures of 9-155 to help take his side to victory, while Key himself and Brendan Nash both hit first-innings centuries.

Kent picked up maximum batting and bonus points in the same game for the first time since July 2012, and Key was happy to see his side move up the table with the victory.

The skipper admitted that while their big first innings total helped set up the game, the bowlers also produced the goods for the side.

“It feels really good”, Key said.

“We put a decent first innings together which then helped a lot. I think that was the thing that we were lacking [in the first two Championship games]. If you get 400, you’re going to have a chance of winning games, especially with the bowling attack that we’ve got.”

The 34-year-old praised the work of off-spinner Riley whose nine-wicket haul was his second of the season, having also taken one for Loughborough MCCU against Sussex. Riley now finds himself with 23 First Class wickets so far this year at an average of just 20 – only two other players in the country have taken more.

“You can’t quite understand as a captain how nice it is to have a bowler that you can plonk on for 20-plus overs”, Key explained.

“In the first innings he was there just to give us control – he did that plus he took wickets.

“Then in the second innings, he really came into his own on a pitch that was starting to turn a little bit, but by no means was a real Bunsen.

“Not only in the wickets he got, but the job that he did for us, you can’t speak enough about, because that was absolutely crucial. To go at two-an-over as a spinner in this day and age is a serious effort.”

Key also paid tribute to the work of seamer Mitch Claydon, who bowled almost completely unchanged alongside Riley in the evening session of the final day.

“We saw him on loan last year, and I’ve played against him before, but I reckon that’s the best I’ve seen him bowl”, Key said.

“In the second innings, for him to bowl the overs he did, I would argue that he’s probably never done that before on a pitch like that, and that was the best I’ve seen him bowl, I reckon.”

 

Picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com