The Keys
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 The original key to The Pavilion in Cyningburgh, Newrey | |
| Countries |  Ainhar Newrey |
|---|---|
| Administrator | International Cricket Committee |
| Format | Keys cricket |
| First edition | 1929 (Newrey) |
| Latest edition | 2017 (Newrey) |
| Next edition | 2019 (Ainhar) |
| Tournament format | 5-match series |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current trophy holder | Newrey |
| Most successful | Newrey (23 series wins) |
| Most runs | Andrew Marshall (4,014) |
| Most wickets | Nel Gerard (177) |
The Keys is a biannual Keys cricket series between the nations of Ainhar and Newrey, where participating teams play for "The keys", with "The keys" being held by the most recently winning team, currently Newrey. The winners of The Keys do not gain any material trophy, and the original key to The Pavilion in Cyningburgh is stored at the stadium. The term for the series originated in a Newreyan newspaper, who, when Ainhar travelled to Newrey for a three-match Test series and won, published an article stating "we may as well give up the keys to The Pavilion", and the name has become an identifier for the series ever since.
Ainhar drew the 1928 Test series 1-1 before travelling to The Pavilion in Cyningburgh for the final test. Newrey won the toss and opted to bat first, but a superb show by Ainharic right-hand fast bowler Nel Gerard saw him get seven wickets and the Newreyan team were bowled out for 117, setting Ainhar a 190 run chase. Ainhar then proceded to bat and a four hit by Baran Mylner secured the Ainharic victory at 192/4, with Mylner ending on 66*, the highest of the series.
The Keys is played in a three-match series, but the format is different to that of traditional Test cricket. Ainhar and Newrey alternate hosting the series every two years, with grounds like The Pavilion in Newrey and Charn's Cricket Ground in Ainhar becoming famously associated with the series. So far, there have been 44 Keys series, with Newrey winning 23, Ainhar 19 and two being drawn.
Format
Keys cricket is almost exclusively played in The Keys series, but attempts to expand the format have been successful in recent times due to its intense and quick format, which often sees fast bowlers and swing batters rise to prominence. In Keys cricket, each team is given three innings to bats per test, each containing a maximum of fifty bowled overs. A test is concluded if the six allotted days elapse with no victor, where it is called a draw, or if a team wins two of the three innings, which can be won by:
- Bowling the opposition team out (10 of the 11 batters have been stumped) before the run target is reached
- Fifty overs elapse before the run target is reached by the batting team
- A captain of either team forfeits the teams innings
For example, if Team A sets a run target of 200 from fifty overs, and Team B are bowled out for 187, then Team A would win the innings. If Team B scored 187 from fifty overs, then Team A would win the innings. If Team B reached 201 runs without hitting fifty overs or getting bowled out, then Team B would win the innings. If it was Team B's final innings, and Team A had set a run target of 200 from fifty overs, and the time ran out (play usually concludes at 7pm, light dependent) without Team B reaching fifty overs or getting bowled out, then the innings would be called a draw, resulting in a draw for the entire test as the third innings is only played if the score was drawn at 1-1 from the previous two innings.