KENT batsmen David Fulton and Rob Key defied the weather to press their claims for England call-ups during the MCC Test trial against Sri Lanka.

Although the three-day match in Chesterfield was cut in half by rain and a damp outfield, the MCC, under the leadership of Fulton, forced the pace throughout the game.

Added to that, Kent’s premier opening pair cannot have failed to impress the watching England management.

With Duncan Fletcher and David Graveney taking notes, Key hit a stylish 77 in the MCC first innings of 326 for seven declared, while Fulton scored an aggregate of 76 in the match, including an unbeaten 47 in the second innings.

“On the whole it all went pretty well apart from the weather,” said Fulton. “The England management were keen for us to win the match or to keep Sri Lanka at a low ebb after their defeat in the second Test, so we achieved the second half of the aim.

“We bowled them out for 127 on a decent pitch and but for a cameo 54 from Aravinda de Silva we may have done better.

“Because we had three openers in the side I sent Keysy in first with Andrew Strauss, then I opened second time around and I’d like to think neither of us let the side down.”

Key, too, believes the job was well done against Sri Lanka. He said: “My cricket’s going well at the moment, which I guess is down to spending the winter at the academy in Australia.

“It was a nice bouncy wicket at Chesterfield and we had a good young side out who all had something to prove. Our brief was not to give Sri Lanka too much practice and to keep them well down and I feel we did that as best we could."

“It was good to play well when I knew the selectors were actually there watching me. It was one of my best innings, in fact, and I should have scored 200, but I threw it away at the end."

The game was declared a draw with MCC 93 without loss and holding an overall lead in the game of 292 runs.