Jake Ball took two for 25 from seven overs as England Lions claimed a comfortable win in the first game of their one-day series against Pakistan A in Dubai today.
The Nottinghamshire fast bowler trapped Fakhar Zaman lbw - and removed Bilal Asif courtesy of a fine catch at deep mid wicket by Joe Clarke - as the Pakistanis were bowled out for 192 in 47 overs, having been asked to bat by James Vince.
The Lions captain then top-scored with 70 from 83 balls and Sam Billings, who will also link up next month with England’s T20 squad in South Africa, added a restrained unbeaten 35 to steer the Lions home with five wickets and almost nine overs to spare.
It was a case of picking up where he left off for Ball following a 2015 county season that brought 13 wickets at an average of 25 in 50-over cricket.
Fawad Alam, who has made 64 appearances for Pakistan in full international cricket, scored a defiant half-century for the hosts before he was ninth man out, becoming the second of Tom Curran’s three dismissals.
Tom Westley (2-28), Craig Overton (2-33) and Liam Dawson (1-42) were also among the wickets as the tourists refused to be hamstrung by recent injuries to Jamie Overton and Liam Plunkett.
Vince and Dawid Malan gave the Lions a perfect start in reply with an opening stand of 103 in 21 overs.
Malan stroked five boundaries before edging a cut at the left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz to go for 41 from 62 balls.
Nawaz then bowled Westley for a golden duck and when Vince was given run out in the 28th over, the Lions had slipped to 125 for three.
But Sam Billings and Liam Dawson steadied the ship with a fourth-wicket stand of 43, and although Dawson fell for 29 when he picked out deep square leg with a hook, Billings sealed the win with the second boundary of his unusually subdued but effective innings.
The series continues on Friday.
The 2015 season saw dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.