England vs Sri Lanka in Lahore: a dead rubber with a final still to play

England and Sri Lanka play again today, Thursday 29 October, in the sixth match of the one-day tri-series that Pakistan is hosting [1] [2]. The game is at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and starts at 8.00am GMT [1]. Sky Sports Cricket is showing every ball of England's series in Britain, and BBC Test Match Special is providing ball-by-ball commentary [1]. It is one of six league matches in the series, with the final to follow [2]. This piece covers the fixture and what it decides. It does not report the result.

A dead rubber for England

For England, very little now rides on this match. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets at the same ground on Tuesday 27 October, bowling the hosts out for 110 in 25.3 overs [5]. Dilshan Madushanka finished with a career-best 5 for 34, and Sri Lanka reached the target in 18.1 overs [5].

That win mattered for England. Pakistan had already qualified for the final with three wins, and Sri Lanka's victory was enough to deny England a place in it [5]. The Khaleej Times report calls Thursday's match "a dead rubber" [4]. The Kuwait Times report says the match is now a dead rubber, which means it no longer affects who reaches the final [5].

How England reached this point

England's match against Pakistan at Rawalpindi on 20 October ended in an 87-run defeat [3]. Chasing 303, England were 91 for 0 inside 15 overs. They were then bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs [3].

The tournament began on 18 October with Pakistan against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi, and it moved to Lahore for its later fixtures [2]. The Sri Lanka win over Pakistan on 27 October was the fifth match of the series, and it was played at the same Gaddafi Stadium [2] [4]. The ECB fixture list shows England's group matches on 20, 22, 25 and 29 October, with the final on 31 October [1]. The 25 October match against Pakistan is also at Lahore [1]. Each of the three teams plays the other two twice, and the top two in the table meet in the final [3].

On the ECB list, Thursday's match is England's last group fixture before the final [1].

What to watch next

The final is set for 31 October at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The ECB calls it "a potential final" [1]. Pakistan are already through, and England are not [5].

Two things come next. The first is the result from Lahore, which this piece does not report. Check the scorecard for the margin and the batting figures. The second is the table once the match is over, because it will show which side joins Pakistan in the final on 31 October [3] [1].