Steve Kirby and his fellow Lions are preparing an ambush for the senior England cricket team.

England's first and second strings collide in a Twenty20 international fixture in the heat of the United Arab Emirates today.

Although billed as a friendly, part of the senior team's preparations for the tour to Bangladesh, those England Lions with ambitions to play at the highest level are treating the game in deadly earnest.

Aware of the importance of posting a standout performance in front of the England selectors, Gloucestershire paceman Kirby and his team-mates are determined to pull off a shock result in the desert.

"This is a massive shop window game for all of us," said Kirby. "This is a time of genuine opportunity in English cricket and places are up for grabs.

"There is talk of the selectors resting some players when Bangladesh play here in May and June and that means there will be a chance for other players to step up and perform on the international stage.

"Anyone who does well in this game will be making a statement that says 'I want to play for the senior England team.' The current England management have already proved they are prepared to select players on merit and there are quite a few lads in the Lions squad with ambitions to go higher."

Kirby believes the Lions will carry a distinct advantage into today's all-England showdown in Abu Dhabi. He and his fellow tourists are already battle hardened after carving out a Twenty20 series victory over Pakistan A, while Paul Collingwood's side have not played a competitive match since early January.

"They are going to come into the game cold, having just stepped off the aircraft," warned Kirby. "They have been training at Loughborough, but there is no substitute for playing games and we have already played four in the past eight days.

"We are playing good cricket, are confident in our abilities and can jump on England and cause a surprise or two. There is a huge incentive for us to do well and this is probably a bigger game for us than the lads in the senior squad.

"It's up to us to prove a point and give the selectors something to think about."