but did not cement his place". Zimbabwe and South Africa in England, 2003 Despite a low-scoring start to the 2003 English cricket season, in which he passed 40 only once in his first seven innings of the season, he kept his place in the Test side for the visit of the touring Zimbabweans. Batting at number five in both Tests, Key failed to make much of an impact, scoring 18 runs in the first match and four in the second. He had reason to feel aggrieved at his first Test dismissal—umpire Steve Bucknor gave him out caught behind, despite Key not hitting the ball. His inclusion in the One Day International (ODI) squad for the following NatWest Series against Zimbabwe and South Africa owed more to the lack of available players than his own form; he had only passed 40 on one occasion going into the series. Key made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in the opening match of the tournament; he scored 11 before falling to the left-arm spin of Ray Price. Key only played one more match in the series; against South Africa he fell for a golden duck taking a "wild swing" at the first ball he received from Makhaya Ntini. Following England's qualification into the final of the tournament, Key was released from the squad "to have some match-practice in the longer form of the game ahead of the Test series" against South Africa. However, Key did not make an appearance in the series. West Indies in England, 2004 Key returned to the Test match side after an excellent start to the 2004 season. He reached 1,000 runs for the season by 2 June, the earliest date the milestone had been reached for 16 years, and had a run of five centuries in seven innings. However, his limited-overs form was not as good—he passed fifty only once all season. Despite this, he was called into the squad for the NatWest Series against the West Indies and New Zealand. Key's series began with the fifth match of the tournament; against the West Indies at Headingley. With England chasing 160 to win, Key came in at 55 for one, but scored just six before being bowled by Dwayne Bravo. His only other appearance came against New Zealand towards the end of the group stage—Key scored 18 and was playing well before being caught behind. His place in the