Brandon bowler Tymal Mills was unable to prevent England Lions falling to a seven-wicket defeat in the first of their five Twenty20 matches against Pakistan A in Dubai.

The Lions were beaten despite a debut half-century from Dawid Malan, with Mills conceding 25 runs in his four overs and not taking a wicket.

The former Mildenhall College pupil is touring with the Lions despite having to step away from the longer format of the game last season due to a back injury. Malan hit three sixes in making 51 from 44 balls after James Vince had chosen to bat first at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, while Sam Billings chipped in with 31 from 21. But Pakistan A reached a target of 145 for six with seven wickets and six balls to spare, as Iftikhar Ahmed and Babar Azam hit half-centuries after they had been reduced to 25 for three.

The Lions seamers provided the good start necessary when Pakistan A launched their reply. Reece Topley had Fakhar Zaman caught behind in his first over, before Jake Ball dismissed Shahzaib Hasan and Sohaib Maqsood in the space of three balls.

But Iftikhar and Babar, who both played for the senior Pakistan team in their recent one-day series defeat against England, put on an unbroken 124 for the fourth wicket.

The second game in the series is on Thursday, the first of three under floodlights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.