KENT batsman Rob Key flies out with the England team to Australia today knowing he has a big opportunity to make a name for himself in international cricket.

Key, 23 said: "I can’t wait to get out there and get on with it. This is where you prove yourself. It's the pinnacle of cricket and to succeed at the top in cricket you’ve got to perform against the best - and that’s Australia.

“It’s a great opportunity so early in my career and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m so proud to be playing for my country and I’d be a fool not to give it my all.

“It’s not just the financial thing or the fame. The Ashes are what cricket’s all about and I want to experience as much as I can."

The Test series starts on November 7. Forever the realist, Key concedes that with Somerset’s Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan of Yorkshire ‘inked in’ as England’s opening pair his chances may be limited.

Indeed, opportunity may rest upon injury to a top-three batsman or in Key occupying an unaccustomed middle order berth at five or six in the order.

“I probably won’t feature early on, but from a purely selfish point of view there’s only one back-up batter on the trip and that’s me,” said Key. There’s every chance I will get a go and more than likely it’ll be in the middle order and there are a lot of positives in that."

IN AN exclusive arrangement with Kent Messenger Group newspapers, Key will be reporting back from Australia throughout the 14-week, five Test Ashes trip with his first tour diary on October 31.