England Lions suffered an eight-wicket defeat to South Africa A in the first of two unofficial Test matches at Arundel.

Asa Tribe and Ben Mayes had given the tourists a target of 215 to tackle after a pair of sensational centuries.

But half-centuries for Lesego Senokwane, Jordan Hermann and Zubayr Hamza meant that the South Africans secured the victory before lunch on the final day.

The two sides will play another four-day match at Beckenham, starting on Friday, ahead of three 50-over games.

The South Africans required 92 runs to win on the final day, but that didn’t stop England from trying to push for an unlikely win.

Liam Patterson-White found the edge of Hermann’s bat with the second ball of the day, only for the chance to go down.

But Hampshire’s Eddie Jack picked up his fourth scalp of the match when he yorked Senokwane. That was to be the Lions’ only success of the day.

A big slog sweep six, which cleared the marquee, brought up Hermann’s half-century, as with Hamza, they rushed towards the winning line.

The pair’s 81-run partnership came off just 72 balls as victory was secured before midday.

The margin of victory shouldn’t mask a competitive performance by a young and inexperienced Lions side – full of players with extremely high ceilings, having been bowled out for 157 on the first day.

Whereas the tourists had just two players over the age of 28, England’s oldest player was the 27-year-old Liam Patterson-White.

Five of the Proteas have played Test cricket, and all but captain Marques Ackerman – who scored a special 137 – have been capped at international level in other formats.

The most demonstrative difference in experience was highlighted by former Middlesex and Nottinghamshire quick Dane Paterson making his first-class debut two days before Ben Mayes’ second birthday.

Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe was perhaps England’s big winner after scoring his first century of the summer, having just missed out on a maiden Test call-up for the series against New Zealand.

His 135 demonstrated true maturity to bat the Lions back into the match, whereas Mayes’s first professional hundred will certainly not be his last.

The fast bowling, too, had many moments of high pace and even greater skill, even if the first-innings figures didn’t reflect that. Mitchell Stanley and Eddie Jack, in particular, will have put their talents in the shop window.

The pitch at Arundel Castle was also worthy of praise, having offered something to everyone at some part of the match.

Whether that be for the fast bowlers on the first day, batters from then on, and spin bowlers from the end of the second day.