Craig Kieswetter continued his impressive start to England Lions’ tour of United Arab Emirates with a match-winning performance to help them secure victory over Pakistan A in Sharjah.

The Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman hit an unbeaten 77 off 52 balls, hammering eight fours and two sixes at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium to secure England’s seven wickets win with 14 balls remaining.

Picking up where he left off during Wednesday’s warm-up victory over the UAE A side, when he hit 31 off 24 balls, Kieswetter’s brutal innings allowed England to cruise past Pakistan’s total of 156 for seven.

Kieswetter shared a 115-run stand spanning 14 overs with Ian Bell, but survived to complete victory and enhance his claims to be included in England’s squad for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament later this year.

“Craig was exceptional is deciding when to take their bowlers down,” enthused Lions captain Andrew Gale. “He played good cricket shots and showed how mature he is. “

The second match in the three-game series between the same sides is in the same stadium on Sunday, February 14.