England set contrived target as Lions are bowled out cheaply

This warm-up fixture lost its List A status after England's second string failed to reach a competitive total on a fair pitch.

Captains and coaches on either side decided a chase of less than a hundred in 50 overs would serve little purpose for England's preparations for their one-day international series against Pakistan.

They therefore simply agreed a new target, based on a perceived par total at the Zayed Stadium. Jade Dernbach starred early on for England as the Lions struggled.

He almost instantly had three wickets for two runs, and the Lions never even hinted at a significant recovery.

Only captain James Taylor, who chose to bat first despite the early start, all-rounder Chris Woakes and number 11 Jack Brooks managed double-figures in a binary scorecard featuring four noughts.

Dernbach (three for 21) and Steven Finn (three for 28) proved lethal with the new ball, reducing the Lions to 14 for four at one stage.

Dernbach struck with his first delivery when he shaped one slightly away from Alex Hales, who failed to cover off-stump and therefore lost it to go for a golden duck.

Joe Root had square-driven Finn for four, but was then pinned lbw on the crease by Dernbach - whose next victim was James Vince, pulling aerially and well-caught by Samit Patel at midwicket.

Finn was bowling well too, and got his reward when a reluctant Jonny Bairstow had to go caught-behind via an apparent inside edge on a ball that snaked back into him.

It almost got even better for Finn and England, but Taylor somehow just evaded Kevin Pietersen at gully with a loose push on four.

Taylor nonetheless decided a counter-attack was in order, and he soon had more than half his team's paltry total.

Moeen Ali was unable to keep him company for long, edging an attempted drive off Graeme Swann to slip.

Taylor went too, with an outside edge behind off Tim Bresnan, and Swann had Scott Borthwick lbw pushing forward to an off-break from round the wicket.

It was therefore thanks only to top-scorer Woakes and a last-wicket stand of 27, the highest of the innings, that England were kept waiting for long.

With Stuart Broad rested but Bresnan back, having been passed fit this morning as he continues his recovery from an elbow injury, it was highly-encouraging for England that their bowling resources appear in such good heart.

The flip-side, though, was no evidence on this occasion that any of the Lions batsmen are ready for the step up if and when required at full international level.