Key aims to unlock the door to England future

"In the past I would have come away with absolutely nothing. There is one sure thing about being a batsman. You will get out of nick at some time. It creeps up on you every now and then and you have to deal with it."

Since arriving back from South Africa in January (he didn't make the one-day party), Key has worked on some technical deficiencies that crept into his game over the winter.

He explained: "I was moving too far across the stumps and playing across the line of the ball, which I wasn't doing during the summer. On tour, I didn't have enough time to go back to the drawing board and correct things. That's one of the problems with back-to-back cricket."

In 2004, Key didn't need to work on his game. After a fallow 2003, he burst back into the limelight, notching up a Bradmanesque 1,000 first-class runs by 2 June and then biffed a superb 221 against West Indies at Lord's in his first Test appearance for over a year.

A match-winning 93 not out followed at Old Trafford in a game England might have lost as Key showed his streetfighting qualities. "In my mind, I'd come of age," he recalls.

But the runs didn't flow as freely over the winter for Key.

The cherry-cheeked batsman had it in his power to virtually end Butcher's Test career in South Africa and the extraordinary emergence of Kevin Pietersen in the one-day team means they will be sweating before selection for next month's First Test against Bangladesh. Key knows a bandwagon is gathering momentum for Pietersen to slot straight into the Test team, possibly at number five, with Michael Vaughan and Graham Thorpe moving up a place.

"Kevin Pietersen came in and averaged about 150 in the onedayers. He makes a good case," admitted Key. "I'm concentrating on nothing apart from starting the summer and getting runs. Even Bangladesh is a long way away."

Key knows he is probably fighting with Pietersen, Butcher and Ian Bell for one place in the England batting order. He said: "I'd imagine that, reading between the lines, that's the way it is although there's not a lot I can do about it. The rest pick themselves. They have some serious innings behind them."

The Kent opener has spent a productive pre-season working with the club's new coach, Graham Ford, who was South Africa coach when they were the No2 Test team in the world.

"He is shaping up to be one of the best coaches I have come across so far. He has a really good take on things and is very refreshing. He has helped both me and Geraint Jones a hell of a lot."

England coach Duncan Fletcher will head to Canterbury in the next couple of weeks for a chat with Key and Jones.

"He has been different class since I came back into the side," said the 25-year-old.

"He is a hard taskmaster but he always lets you know where you stand."

If Key is not selected for England this summer, then Kent should benefit handsomely.