Kent skipper Rob Key is likely to miss at least three weeks of action after breaking a finger in the crushing LV= County Championship Division 1 defeat at Hampshire on Wednesday.

Key (pictured) broke his finger attempting to fend off a delivery from veteran skipper Dominic Cork and retired hurt for just four on the final afternoon of the game, which finished inside three days.

Key was not the only injury concern for Kent as Amjad Khan suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem, though he still returned to the crease as last man as Kent vainly attempted to take the game into a final day.

Key had gone for just 17 early on the opening morning having won the toss and opted to bat. Joe Denly's 67 and 50 from Sam Northeast - with the pair sharing a fourth wicket stand of 74 - were the only high points as the visitors were dismissed for just 251 in 80 overs.

Ex-England star Cork was their tormentor in chief, taking 5-50 off more than 22 overs.

Former Kent man Michael Carberry was then in superb form as Hampshire recovered from a stuttering start which saw them lose three quick wickets and shared a mammoth fourth-wicket stand of 256 with Neil McKenzie (113) on his way to 158.

He eventually fell to the returning Robbie Joseph, who finished with 2-112 at a cost of more than four an over.

James Vince, Nic Pothas and Sean Ervine all made rapid half-centuries before Cork declared on 553-7, a lead of 302.

Alex Blake did record his maiden first class wicket when he trapped Vince LBW while Malinga Bandara also claimed his first wicket with the dismissal of Pothas.

Despite the early departures of Denly (9) and Geraint Jones (1), in addition to Key, Martin Van Jaarsveld compiled a defiant unbeaten 82, though only Northeast (32) could stay with him for any length of time as Kent lost wickets regularly on their way to 191 all out and defeat by an innings and 111 runs.