Furious Key slams pitch after Kent defeat to Durham
Resuming on 116-8 and needing another 61 runs for a shock win, Kent were skittled out for 133.
Friday, 08, Aug 2008 10:10
Robert Key blasted the state of the pitch after Kent's controversial 43-run loss to Durham at the Riverside.
In the Division One clash, the Dynamos wrapped up victory in three days after dismissing Kent for 133.
Kent were skittled out for just 78 in their first innings, while the hosts made scores of 146 and 108.
Kent skipper Key branded the England and Wales Cricket Board's pitch panel a "bit of a muppet show".
"I'm not saying Durham deliberately prepared a bad pitch, but if there's no penalty they and other teams with strong seam attacks will always want these sort of pitches," Key said.
"The game is going to be a shambles and we won't produce Test cricketers.
"The pitch panel asked all the usual questions but apparently they think there was nothing wrong with the pitch.
"It's ridiculous and I can't say how bad we feel about it. Even Shivnarine Chanderpaul couldn't score runs on that pitch. If the ECB are not going to do anything about pitches like that why waste money sending inspectors round the country?"
Durham skipper Dale Benkenstein hit back by saying both sides had to adapt to the surface.
"Both times we have had a pitch panel in my four years here Kent have been involved. They are used to playing on good pitches in the south," Benkenstein said.
The win for Durham puts them top of Division One of the County Championship while Kent slip to fourth place.