THIS Friday the 13th may yet prove to be a black cricketing day for Robert Key as the Kent batsman and his side were out-gunned and out-foxed by Test prospect Kevin Pietersen and his Hampshire team-mates.

Kent, having been set a mammoth run chase target of 485, will go into the fourth and final day of this Frizzell Championship clash on 121 for two and with all hopes pinned on Kolpak signing Martin van Jaarsveld, who remained unbeaten on 22.

On another cold and windy day that saw Shane Warne bowl in a beanie hat, it was unbeaten Hampshire who again controlled affairs.

Coincidentally, it was also the day the England's selectors sat down to pick their first squad of the summer and in many respects Pietersen won the plaudits over his rival Key.

After the early loss of Simon Katich for 128 it was Pietersen who took up the attack on a benign pitch and against an off-colour Kent attack.

The former Nottinghamshire player and Kent close-season target hardly broke sweat in racing to 50 from 51 balls including a brace of sixes from consecutive Min Patel deliveries.

Michael Brown chipped in with a fluent 54 at the other end, but after lunch all eyes focussed on the gangly South African who plays for England courtesy of his Canterbury-born mother.

Pietersen was content to work the singles immediately after the interval, but with a century in sight he laid into Simon Cook to drive three successive fours to the long off ropes and post his first hundred for Hampshire from just 83 balls with 10 fours and three sixes.

Amjad Khan finally sent him packing when Key held onto a chance out on the deep mid-wicket boundary, but Warne was soon able to declare on 461 for nine to leave the visitors the best part of 140 overs in which to dismiss the hosts.

For the second time in the match David Fulton and Key posted 50 for the first wicket but with his score on 37 Fulton edged an unplayable lifting leg-cutter from Chris Tremlett to the keeper.

Key, batting without the frills or abandon of Pietersen and like a man in fear of his Test place, stuck it out for two-and-a-half hours for his 54 only to be caught by his nemesis Pietersen.

Just four overs from the close Key drove hard at a wide leg-spinner from Warne, found a thick edge and set off thinking of a single only to see Pietersen dive full-length to his right at slip and cling on to a wondrous catch.

Key moped off thinking such things can happen on Friday the 13th.

SCORECARD

Hampshire first innings

J H K Adams lbw b Saggers 0

M J Brown c Jones b Dennington 32

S M Katich run out (Stevens/Jones) 56

J P Crawley c van Jaarsveld b Dennington 0

K P Pietersen c van Jaarsveld b Dennington 1

S M Ervine b Saggers 18

A D Mascarenhas c Jones b Cook 9

T G Burrows b Khan 42

S K Warne not out 107

C T Tremlett c Walker b Cook 35

R J Logan b Patel 4

Extras 24

Total 328 all out after 73.5 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-61, 3-71, 4-79, 5-104, 6-121, 7-130,8-261, 9-307

Bowling: Saggers 19-4-64-2, Khan 15-2-82-1, Cook 16-4-62-2, Dennington 17-5-63-3, Stevens 3-1-13-0, Patel 3.5-1-28-1.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton not out 64

R W T Key b Ervine 20

M van Jaarsveld c Crawley b Tremlett 1

M J Walker lbw b Ervine 12

D I Stevens c Burrows b Logan 68

G O Jones c Pietersen b Ervine 6

M J Dennington c Crawley b Tremlett 50

S J Cook b Warne 4

M M Patel lbw b Warne 0

A Khan not out 5

M J Saggers lbw b Logan 17

Extras 48

Total 305 all out from 80.3 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-63, 3-93, 4-163, 5-226, 6-255, 7-271, 8-271, 9-283.

Bowling: Tremlett 14-2-61-2, Logan 15.3-3-59-3, Ervine 12-2-66-2, Mascarenhas 20-5-53-0, Warne 19-3-50-3.

Hampshire second innings

J H K Adams c Jones b Saggers 1

J P Crawley run out 25

S M Katich not out 125

M J Brown b Patel 54

K P Pietersen c Key b Khan 125

S M Ervine c Jones b Saggers 57

A D Mascarenhas c Jones b Khan 8

T G Burrows c Cook b Khan 13

S K Warne not out 26

C T Tremlett lbw b Khan 4

R J Logan not out 0

Extras 20

Total 461 for nine declared after 113.2 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-97, 3-197, 4-248, 5-397, 6-411, 7-429, 8-446, 9-458.

Bowling: Saggers 26-4-82-2, Khan 20-0-106-4, Cook 18-1-104-0, Dennington 6-0-25-0, Patel 33.2-5-108-2, Stevens 6-1-20-0.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Burrows b Tremlett 37

R W T Key c Pietersen b Warne 54

M van Jaarsveld not out 22

M J Saggers not out 2

Extras 6

Total 121 for two after 43 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-119

Bowling: Tremlett 9-3-22-1, Logan 5-0-39-0, Ervine 9-2-32-0, Adams 2-1-7-0, Mascarenhas 9-6-4-0, Warne 9-4-11-1.