KENT captain Rob Key heaped praise on his club’s young guns James Tredwell and Joe Denly after both received England international call-ups.

Ashford-born off-spinner James Tredwell won a place in England’s 16-man one-day international squad to tour New Zealand later this month, while Denly, 23 from Whitstable, will go to India with the England Lions on a five week trip also leaving later this month.

A delighted Key said: “Joe was a dead certainty to make that Lions’ trip, which is all credit to him for his consistent performances for us throughout last summer.

“Make no mistake, it will be a good challenge for him out there in India playing on some dry, turning pitches, but that may be the final piece in his batting jigsaw so to speak.

“He’s been away working in Australia prior to Christmas and this trip to the sub-continent should bring his game on even further.”

As for Tredwell, Key added: “ ‘Tredders’ has moved his game a long way forward in very short space of time and I’m thrilled for him.

“It seemed to me he was something of an unfancied cricketer in the England selectors’ eyes, but they’ve now had one look at him at the ECB Academy training camp and thrust him into the England One-Day reckoning at the first opportunity.

“He’s a better option in one-day cricket than many England have gone for in recent months, so I hope he can take his chance.

“ ‘Tredders’ is a far more capable and shrewder cricketer than some people might think on first sight, to my mind he’s been vastly underestimated for quite a while and it’s nice to see him getting this recognition at last.”