TOM Westley hit 57 not out to lead England Lions to victory against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

The Essex star faced just 63 balls at the crease in the 50 over clash and was delighted by his match-winning partnership with James Vince.

“That was the first time I’ve batted with Vincey in the UAE, so it was nice to have a bit of a partnership,” said Westley.

“He set the tone really well.

“We spoke about hitting strong shots and doing what we’ve done for our counties – not over-complicating things which maybe I did a bit before Christmas.

“It’s good to have spent some time in the middle.”

Westley also bowled eight tidy overs of off-spin to earn one for 31 and is now keen to keep on making a good impression.

“I’ve been most effective for Essex in 50-over cricket and want to keep that going now,” said Westley, an Echo columnist 

“You can settle in, especially on a wicket that turned a little bit as well like that one today.

“I thought Liam Dawson bowled fantastically as well at the other end too.

“It was nice to be bowling in partnership with him, just like it was batting with Vincey.”