Warwickshire's Ian Bell will hope to get back into the Test team

Ian Bell strengthened his chances of making a return to England's Test team with an impressive innings of 74 against Pakistan at Canterbury.

But he was upstaged by England A captain Robert Key, whose 128 not out propelled the hosts to 268-3 at stumps on day one of a four-day match.

England A won the toss and lost Essex left-hander Alastair Cook early on.

But Key and Bell added 160 for the second wicket with none of Pakistan's bowlers enjoying a day to remember.

Cook was caught behind off Mohammad Sami for three as he fished outside his off-stump.

Faisal Iqbal was forced to take the gloves for Pakistan in the second session after wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal damaged his left index finger in the fifth over.

Akmal was hampered by the injury and proceeded to drop Key moments before lunch when a delivery of extra bounce from Mohammad Asif found the edge.

A good end to the summer and you never know. The selectors are watching Robert Key Quotes: Day one reaction

Bell, who top-scored in the series against Pakistan over the winter but lost his Test place two months ago, drove fluently through the off-side in his innings.

He was finally undone when chasing a delivery from the third seamer, Umar Gul, to provide Iqbal with a rare catch as a wicket-keeper.

Key had settled in at his county headquarters with a cover-driven four to get off the mark and a pull to the boundary, both off Asif.

When the same bowler dropped short again, his response was emphatic as a pull cleared the rope at fine leg.

After lunch, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria was hit for easy runs, but Pakistan's seam bowlers kept their discipline impressively on a wicket providing little assistance.

Kaneria did end Owais Shah's 85-ball struggle at the crease, which yielded 23 runs for the Middlesex man.

A delivery from the slow bowler did enough to catch Shah's outside edge and fly to slip.

Key, meanwhile, shrugged off his previous lack of fluency this summer with some stunning strokes as he brought up his first century of the season.