KENT CCC columnist BRAD PINARD this week looks at the impressive recent form of Rob Key for the Spitfires.

WITH the weight of captaincy lifted from his shoulders, Rob Key has started to find the form which once saw him opening the batting for England all those years ago.

Kent are renowned for breeding and trusting youngsters in all forms of the game and that has to be admired, but the older heads around them have to lead by example and fortunately Key amongst others has done so this season.

Another century for the 34-year-old against Leicestershire in the County Championship shows just how in touch he currently is.

Key’s good form has coincided with the Spitfires looking a lot more solid in the Championship, and despite not yet getting that vital first win, the points gap between them and the rest has been significantly cut.

Fellow long-serving Spitfire and experienced pro Darren Stevens has been equally impressive in recent games, smashing his own 97 from just 58 balls against Leics and taking 5-39 in the Foxes’ first innings.

With captain James Tredwell warming the bench and fetching the drinks for the England ODI side at present, it has been left to Stevens, Key and keeper Geraint Jones to hopefully lead Kent off of the bottom of the Championship and to a solid finish in the YB40 Group A.

A sloppy defeat to Northamptonshire at Tunbridge Wells leaves Kent with just a slim chance of advancing to the semi-finals of the 40-over competition with a minimum of four wins from the final five games needed.

Six of the XI who were defeated by Northants in the YB40 on Sunday were youngsters, and the majority of those six have come through the Spitfires academy.

It is great to see a youthful side and each player has their individual quality, but the old football cliché can transfer to cricket – you can’t win anything with kids.

The opening partnership of Sam Northeast (23-years-old) and Sam Billings (21) looked solid enough but both failed to kick on from a solid start and their strike rates were nothing to write home about while chasing a big score.

Then turn your attention to the bowlers – Adam Riley (21), Adam Ball (20), Callum Haggett (22) and Matt Coles (22) were all expensive with their overs and the lack of experience and perhaps quality amongst the bowlers was evident.

So while it is great to see the likes of Key and Stevens find stunning form, it is equally worrying vital jobs are falling to young players who shouldn’t really be put in this situation game after game and week after week.

Tredwell may still be away for another three weeks and strike bowler Mark Davies is still nursing an injury.

With the Twenty20 competition on the horizon, let’s hope the young guns find their feet on the big stage and show just why they are in the side.