England Lions coach Andy Flower has praised Liam Dawson for his performance during the T20 series success against Pakistan A.

Dawson, who made his one previous Lions appearance in 2009, helped James Vince’s team come from 2-1 down to win 3-2 in Dubai.

“Liam Dawson had a fine series,” said former England coach Flower. “He’s shown a lot of skill as a part-time left-arm spinner, to such an extent that we played him as a full-timer.

“But he’s also an excellent fielder, and he’s a very skilful right-handed batter, and he holds himself well under pressure as well.”

Dawson topped the Lions averages with 98, runs he scored at a strike rate of 119 per 100 balls.

His slow left-arm yielded four wickets at 25.5 apiece and an economy rate of 6.37 runs per over that was only bettered by Tom Curran, the Surrey prodigy whose Super Over heroics clinched the series decider.

Dawson’s form meant his former Hampshire teammate and fellow slow left-armer Danny Briggs did not play in any of the five games, despite also being in the 16-man squad.

The 25 year-old must now have a very good chance of returning to Dubai next month for the Lions’ five-match 50-over series against the same opposition. The squad will be announced before Christmas, along with the white-ball squads for England’s 50-over and T20 series that follow the Tests in South Africa.

“Most of the players that have played in this series will be back in January for a 50-over series against Pakistan A,” said Flower. “In a number of ways that might be tougher for us over a longer period.

“But again it will provide a learning opportunity – both in those first ten days when we’re training, and then the five-match series as well.”

The T20 team was led by Vince, whose captaincy made up for his anti-climactic form with the bat following his heroics for England against Pakistan on the same ground last month.

Flower added: “To cap off the competitive leg with a series win against Pakistan A, who were a much more experienced side than us – I think in this last game we had 20 international caps whereas they had 120 –is a great achievement.

“As I said in the team huddle at the end of the game, these young England cricketers will be playing with each other over the next few years with England.

“Obviously not all of them will make it. But without doubt they will draw on some of the relationships that they’ve built on this tour, whether batting together or fielding together or talking tactics, and hopefully they take some of those connections and relationships forward with them to England.

“Certainly the cricket experience they’ve gained from playing a hard-fought series like this will be invaluable.”

Meanwhile rookie Hampshire seamer Brad Wheal is in a Scotland squad of 15 for World Cricket League and Intercontinental Cup fixtures in January and February against Hong Kong.

Hampshire’s T20 Blast match against Surrey at The Oval has been moved from Friday, July 1 to Thursday June 9.