KEVIN PIETERSEN took a spectacular catch to dismiss Rob Key after hitting his maiden Hampshire hundred - then had dinner with his England rival!

Pietersen dived low to his right to dismiss Key for 54 after the Kent batsman had caught him at deep mid-wicket earlier in the day.

Both batsmen starred while the England selectors were meeting to discuss the squad for the first match of the summer, and Pietersen said: "Hopefully I'll get the nod. I know I haven't scored as many runs as I should have but then not many have, so hopefully this hundred was just in time!

"Rob caught me and then I caught him. We both play to win but we're mates and now we're going to have dinner together."

Pietersen was delighted to repay Hampshire with his first hundred for the county after struggling to live up to the reputation he built with England in South Africa.

He added: "The club and everyone in Southampton have been fantastic so to get so many single-figure scores hasn't helped.

"It's difficult to go from what happened to me in South Africa to the expectation of everyone at a new club but I just want to do well for everyone at Hampshire so to get my first hundred was pretty special.

"But I've been playing really well without kicking on. All I've needed to do is spend a couple of hours at the wicket, which I did, so hopefully things have changed.

"It's not good when you wake up to bad headlines, hopefully they'll be good this weekend."

Hampshire wicketkeeper Nic Pothas is expected to recover from the bruised knee he suffered against Middlesex on Monday in time to face the Crusaders at Lord's tomorrow (1pm).

Hampshire are looking to end a miserable run of three successive National League defeats at the home of cricket and Middlesex and England Andrew Strauss is expected to play, less than week after Shane Warne dismissed the left hander for 19 at the Rose Bowl.

Middlesex were today enjoying a day off after completing a 340-run win against Gloucestershire last night.