Gareth Batty top scored with 66 for the England Lions in New Zealand

Worcestershire duo Stephen Moore and Gareth Batty helped England Lions run up 278 in their latest meeting with the New Zealand Emerging Players.

Moore, who top scored with 75 last week, hit 59 off 92 balls, after Kent opening pair Joe Denly and Robert Key had gone for four runs between them.

Then, going in at nine, Batty picked up the baton from Moore, hitting a half century of his own, 66 from 88 balls.

The New Zealanders were dismissed for 277 in reply, in another drawn game.

Lancashire's Sajid Mahmood claimed 3-58 and Durham all-rounder Liam Plunkett 4-76, Batty taking 1-19 from seven tidy overs.

In the second of their pair of two-day warm-up games, the Lions still had time for a useful 20 overs' extra batting practice and they reached 86-2 by the close.

The Lions now travel to Queenstown for the first Test starting on Sunday.

Stephen Moore has hit half centuries in his first two innings for England Lions.

And Moore's second half century on tour can only have enhanced his growing reputation following an impressive domestic season in 2008 when he averaged 55.8 in first-class cricket.

"The longer you can stay out in the middle the better at this stage of the tour," said Moore, who shared an 87-run stand with Samit Patel.

"I've worked on a few things this winter and I feel pretty comfortable out in the middle.

"After being indoors for a few months it does take time to get used to grass wickets again and being outside.

"The conditions here are very similar to England early season. There was a bit of life in the wicket so it's been a good test for us.

"We're trying to get as much as we can out of these games before the start of the Test series."

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