 Key has played 15 Tests for England |
He was photographed at Canterbury using sandpaper on the ball in an attempt to obtain reverse swing.
But Kent described the game as "formalised practice" and ruled out any disciplinary measures.
Key said: "Maybe I've been a bit naive but it didn't really occur to me that this might develop into a scandal."
The match did not come under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board and Notts will not be making a complaint about the matter.
"My conscience is clear. I won't be going out and scratching the ball the way I have in this game in a first-class match but these games are used for practice and are a good opportunity to see where people are," Key told The Guardian newspaper.
"The way the game is moving forward for bowlers nowadays is through reverse swing, so what we've tried to do throughout our pre-season nets was to get brand new balls, sandpaper one side, and let the boys practise bowling. It actually goes really well."
Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's Director of Cricket, said neither he nor his team had been aware of Key's actions while the game was being played.
"If I had noticed it, I would have asked him what was going on. But I know Rob would not dream of doing it in a proper match and it was only a practice game," he added.
Last October, former England spin bowler John Emburey, told the BBC that ball-tampering was commonplace in county cricket.
"There will always be bowlers trying various means to try and make the ball do something.
"In the '40s, '50s and '60s it was Brylcream then we had sun cream, you've always had people picking the seam," Emburey commented.
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