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Key blames extras and Chapple's fine spell for Liverpool defeat

Rob Key said 'It's clear where we slipped up'
Rob Key said 'It's clear where we slipped up'

Kent skipper Rob Key has called on his side to do some soul searching and look at their individual performances after crashing to a 70-run defeat to Lancashire in Liverpool on Friday afternoon.

Key saw his side rolled over inside two-and-a-half hours by former England seamer Glen Chapple as Lancashire came from behind in the game to snatch victory with four sessions to spare.

Key said: "It's disappointing but we witnessed a fine spell of bowling here from Glen Chapple who bowled almost 20 overs off the reel and took six wickets. He made it pretty tough for us and I can't remember him bowling a bad ball. He had a small opportunity and he took it.

"Looking back, we probably should have made more with the new ball when we bowled with it second time around yesterday (Thursday), because they certainly made the most of it today.

"It was never going to be easy, it never is chasing those sorts of targets but 'Chappie' was excellent. He was the difference between the sides with nine wickets in the game."

Commenting on Kent's appalling record of leaking 76 extras in a low-scoring game, Key added: "We've already had a quick chat about that and we've got to the stage now where we can apportion blame on just about anyone, but the facts are evident and speak for themselves.

"It's clear where we slipped up and where we didn't do well enough and I just hope that people are big enough to look at that and do something differently next time they go out.

"We were out there for 30-odd overs in their first innings yet still conceded 30-odd extras and you simply can't afford to be doing that."

Looking ahead to next Wednesday's final Championship game of the season in Canterbury against title-chasers Durham, Key added: "There's a lot more riding on the last game now. It can sometimes be hard to lift the guys for one last match but now we have no choice, we've got to pick ourselves up.

"If we'd won this we were challenging for the title but unfortunately we've lost and now we're at the wrong end.

"It's been a crazy season but you want, pressure games throughout the summer."

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