IT seemed fitting that Rob Key’s batting purple patch continued amongst the rhododendrons of Royal Tunbridge Wells where Kent dominated day one of the Frizzell Championship match with Lancashire.

Though he still remains on the fringes of the England side, Key’s sublime run of form reached full bloom at The Nevill as he stoked a masterly 180 to steer the county to 416 for four by Wednesday’s close.

In the process Key, upon reaching 94 with a steer to the third-man ropes off Mark Chilton, also became the first batsman in the country to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the summer.

He is Kent’s third batsman in four seasons to reach the milestone ahead of the pack following in the footsteps of David Fulton (2001) and Ed Smith (2003). Remarkably, all three achieved the feat whilst batting against Lancashire.

The right-hander from Beckenham featured in an attractive opening partnership of 83 with his skipper Fulton (42).

Having elected to bat first, the Kent captain was keen to dominate and set the tone for they day.

They had 40 on the board within six overs as the hugely experienced Glen Chapple and Dominic Cork served up a succession of half-volleys as they continually over-pitched.

Although Cork and Chapple both improved, the Kent invicta had bolted from the stable and Key remained in the saddle for a further six hours to guide the side to their best first innings total of the season to date.

Sadly, Fulton’s stay came to an end after 25 overs when he played inside an out-swinger to lose his off stump to Steven Crook playing only his third championship match for Lancashire.

Key then helped Smith post a record second wicket stand against the red rose county of 229 in 58 overs.

The pair improved the record of Bill Ashdown and John Evans scored at The Mote in Maidstone in 1927 by just four runs with Smith contributing his first century of the summer.

After suffering a dismal start to the campaign, Smith batted smoothly and within himself for his 15 boundaries and celebrated like a man who had the world’s weight lifted from his shoulders when reaching three figures for the first time at Tunbridge Wells.

The biggest ovation from a first day crowd of 2,500 went to Key, however, who went to his sixth century of the season from 186-balls and with a little matter of 82 in boundaries.

The stand ended just eight overs after tea when Smith, in aiming an overly deliberate pull shot off Kyle Hogg, top-edged to Gary Keedy running in from the ropes at long leg.

Andrew Symonds, fresh from his farcical seven-day international sojourn to Zimbabwe, proved Key’s next ally in a third wicket stand of 86 in 18 overs.

The pair took Kent to the brink of maximum batting bonus points before both went in the space of two overs to take the gloss of Kent’s remarkable day.

Symonds (33), playing back when he might have pushed forward, had his off stump trimmed by Crook, then Key played around a Chapple in-ducker to go 20 short of what would have been a maiden double hundred.