Pakistan A recover to take the series

Pakistan A beat England Lions by 70 runs in the final one-day game of the tour in Dubai to secure a 2-1 series win.

With Pakistan A winning the toss and electing to bat, captain Andrew Gale could not have hoped for a better start with his opening bowlers Steven Finn and Chris Woakes each taking a wicket in their first over to leave Pakistan A struggling at 4 for 2.

It then became a lot worse for Pakistan as they were reduced to 33 for 4 after a mix-up between Shafiq and Rehman, that left the latter run out. Shafiq and Yasin began the unenviable task of repairing the innings with a 77-run stand that dragged Pakistan A towards respectability. With the partnership beginning to look threatening, England Lions' spin duo of Wainwright and Rashid each struck to leave the batting side 118 for 6 after 31 overs.

Wainwright made the initial breakthrough, dismissing Shafiq for a well made 52 courtesy of a smart catch by Rashid who then beat Yasin's defensive stroke with a ball that turned and hit leg stump. Yasir Shah and Naeem Anjum gave the Pakistan A innings some late momentum but Woakes, entrusted with the last over, ensured the situation did not get out of hand by yorking the pair of them. In a frenetic start to the chase England Lions were a wicket down within two overs. Just as they did in the previous match, Andrew Gale and Michael Lumb met early. They made decent headway but having taken the score to 43 for 1 in the ninth over, Gale charged down the wicket and was bowled by 17-year-old Raza Hasan.

Lumb looked in good order in making a patient 30 but he could not replicate Wednesday's heroics when he made a century and was brilliantly caught in the 21st over on the square leg boundary by Asad Shafiq. James Taylor followed soon after, caught and bowled by Abdur Rehman with the scoreboard reading 89 for 4.

England Lions suffered a hammer blow in the 30th over with the dismissal of Ian Bell, their best player. Aiming a sweep towards deep midwicket, the Warwickshire batsman could only watch in horror as Naved Yasin sprinted in and swooped to scoop up the ball inches above the turf. Steven Davies launched a counter offensive but after moving serenely to 24 he was adjudged leg before attempting to paddle Hafeez. Pakistan A completed their victory in the 41st over.

David Parsons, the ECB performance director, said: "After the way we played on Wednesday we hoped that we'd be able to carry on where we left off but it wasn't to be. All credit to Pakistan- to come back and post a half decent total after being 33 for 4 is a very good effort. They played four spinners which is unusual for our guys to face and they put us under a lot of pressure.

"We've played some good cricket this tour and on the whole it's been a success. We wanted to identify players who would be able to go on and forge successful England careers at some point in the future and this tour has done that. As a squad the boys have worked hard and while it's disappointing not to have been able to win both series, we can take plenty of positives from this."