Posted on 11/08/2009 at 15:25 by Glenn Pearson
For once, county cricket is getting the attention it deserves and for the right reasons.
This week's round of County Championship games have real meaning, not only for the club's involved, but for some experienced cricketers fighting it out for an England spot.
After England's failure at Headingly last week, the vultures are out and they are circling around Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara. Who should replace them? Mark Ramprakash, Jonathan Trott, Marcus Trescothick, or how about Rob Key?
I feel for the bloke, I really do. Kent's skipper is constantly being asked about playing for England but continues to answer contritely and when it appears he has his first name etched on the squad list for the next Test, he goes and has a poor run of form and it's immediately erased.
But now he has a real chance, doesn't he? Geoffery Boycott, Graham Thorpe and even Ramprakash think so - that must mean he's in doesn't it? Well, in the straight shoot out between Bopara, Bell, Ramprakash, Trott and Key, the Kent man is winning today's race. The Kent skipper hit 90 in his side's game against Northampton which ticks all the boxes for the England selectors....well just the one under the heading 'Form'.
It doesn't matter that Trott, Bell and Bopara haven't batted yet, today is Rob Key's day. Before the start of play on Tuesday morning he had one clear objective - and before any Kent fans get upset, it helps them too - score runs, by the bucket-load if possible.
He will no doubt be kicking himself that he didn't reach three figures, but he has achieved what he needed to and surely put his name at the top of the list. While these six batsmen fight it out, county cricket is the healthier for it and finally we have some form of a system - despite what you think of it - where competitive cricket is being played and players are fighting tooth and nail for an England spot.
Whether it goes to Key though is another matter. It's up to you now England selectors.