Speaking after the second round of fixtures to use the Kookaburra, Key shared his view that using a less bowler-friendly ball than the Dukes had brought out the requisite skills for Test cricket by increasing the volume of spin bowling, rewarding seamers who have extra pace, and allowing batters to go big when set.
"I think it's been fantastic," said Key. "You see what four-day cricket is meant to be. I've watched quite a bit this week and seen some bloody good cricket. I would use the Kookaburra all the time. English cricket would be much better off for it." All nine matches in the second round ended in draws for only the third time in history, it should be noted, while Essex beating Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in their opening fixture remains the one positive result from the 18 so far. The Kookaburra, which has a less prominent seam and goes softer earlier, has clearly been a significant factor.
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