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Key asks players to focus on cups rather than cash

Spitfires' skipper Rob Key played down Champions League talk
Spitfires' skipper Rob Key played down Champions League talk

Kent skipper Rob Key advised his players to enjoy Twenty20 finals day for what it is rather than get wrapped up in big money talk of Champions League qualification.

Speaking after Kent's 14-run semi-final win over Essex Eagles that took them through to a second successive final, Key said: "Until I get some plane tickets through the door and someone actually goes and wins it and sees all that money, only then might I start to believe it all.

"The story changes every other day. At first no ICL players could play county cricket, yet now they are. No club with an ICL player would be allowed through, yet we have two of them in Mahmood and Kemp.

"Then not even a team with ICL players would be allowed to play in Champions League, it keeps changing and not too many of our boys will be fussed about it until we're told this is it, we're actually going.

"This is domestic cricket's big day out and it's just a great experience to be playing in it. To get through to the final again is just fantastic, so let's enjoy it.

"All these extra games that are being talked of are just massive bonuses if they come off. Put it this way, I haven't booked my Ferrari yet!"

Key admitted he would have taken his side's total of 173-7 had he been offered it at the start of the day, but added it was his bowlers who ultimately won the match.

He said: "When you've got a decent score on the board it is easier to be better in the field because the pressure is all on the batsmen.

"They talk about the scoreboard pressure and Essex felt that a bit today. When they hit the ball in the air we caught it and there were some good diving stops and three run outs.

"We won a good toss and batting first is the way we like to do it and it's always nice to know you've got Yasir and Azhar to bowl for you at the death.

"As a team you feed off things like that and we had a lot of guys out there giving absolutely everything.

"Kaneria is big man for them and he bowled well and really cogged us back and made it hard work. Without his bowling we'd have probably got up to close to 200 but our boys in the middle (Simon Cook and James Tredwell) also bowled well.

"That's when you win or lose games and they're the ones who have to set things up, do the donkey work almost for the boys at the end Azhar and Yasir who have showed unbelievable skills for us at the death."

Click here to listen to Rob Key speaking after the game


Click here for more Twenty20 coverage on our Kent Cricket website


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