LIAM Livingstone's productive winter continued apace as he helped the North to victory in a warm-up match for their upcoming series against the South.

The Barrow big-hitter clubbed 45 off just 27 balls – with three fours and three sixes – to help set Worcestershire an insurmountable victory target of 417 in Dubai.

The North went on to win by 71 runs, with Livingstone adding to his recent bowling success in Sri Lanka with England Lions by taking a wicket – as well as displaying his fine fielding credentials with two catches.

It was a high-scoring day at the ICC Academy, with Ben Duckett and James Vince scoring centuries for the North and South respectively – the latter beating UAE by five wickets.

Duckett cracked 137 from 92 balls, with three sixes and 22 fours, as the North piled up 416 for six against a full-strength but rusty Worcestershire attack.

Captain Keaton Jennings – another member of the Lions tour – dropped to number three and hit five sixes in his 92, his highest score since his century on England Test debut in Mumbai last year.

That always seemed likely to prove too much for Worcestershire, who are in the UAE for their pre-season preparations and accepted a late opportunity to replace Afghanistan.

Despite an opening stand of 128 in 20 overs between Daryl Mitchell (89) and Brett D’Oliveira (65), and defiant lower-order half-centuries by Ed Barnard and new captain Joe Leach, they were all out for 345 in the 49th over.

The first five wickets fell to the North spinners: Graeme White – who had Mitchell caught by Livingstone – the Barrow CC product himself, and Josh Poysden, who ended with three for 42.

Mark Wood returned after a tidy three-over opening spell to take his first wicket of the year, Ross Whiteley caught again by Livingstone, in an encouraging comeback after his ankle operation last autumn.

The South seemed set for more of a struggle on the adjoining oval against the UAE, who made 343 for nine from their 50 overs with centuries from Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar.

But Dawid Malan, fresh from his triumph in the Pakistan Super League, laid a sound platform with 79 from 71 balls, sharing a second-wicket stand of exactly 100 with Vince – who went on to make an unbeaten 125 from 85 balls with 14 fours and four sixes before retiring to give the South’s middle-order some time at the crease.

They won by five wickets with 10 balls to spare, with handy contributions from Sam Northeast and Tom Alsop, after Daniel Bell-Drummond had made 37 in an opening stand of 81 with Malan.

The serious business begins on Friday in the grander surroundings of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which will stage the first two matches of the series before it concludes in Abu Dhabi next Tuesday. England head coach Trevor Bayliss and all three selectors will be watching.