Sri Lanka and England meet in Rawalpindi with the bottom spot at stake
Sri Lanka and England play on Thursday 22 October in Rawalpindi, and the side that loses will be bottom of the three-team table at the halfway stage with zero points, according to The Guardian's live coverage. It is the third match of a one-day international (ODI) tri-series in Pakistan, where each game is a 50-over contest. The tournament runs from 18 to 31 October, with matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore and the final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
England arrive with a difficult run behind them. They lost to Pakistan by 87 runs on Tuesday 20 October, falling short while chasing 303. A chase means batting second and reaching the target the other side has set. England have now failed a 300-plus chase for the second time in three games, according to The Guardian.
Sri Lanka have also lost to Pakistan. Pakistan made 305 on Sunday 18 October and won by 37 runs, which is a win for the side batting first, known as defending a total.
Both teams have history here that is worth knowing. In September, England beat Sri Lanka by 223 runs to win an ODI series. Phil Salt's teammate Dawid Malan was not involved; the star of that match was Banton, whose 126 was his first ODI century as England posted 355 for 7, according to Reuters.
England have made changes for this tournament. Adil Rashid and Tom Curran returned to the squad, and the England board also called up three uncapped players, meaning players who have not yet represented the team in an international match, as Reuters reported.
The match is a day-night fixture, so it starts in daylight and finishes under floodlights, according to Cricinfo's schedule. Those games often turn on how a side handles the change in light and conditions as the evening goes on. Live coverage is on Sky Sports and BBC Sport in the UK.
For casual fans, the simple version is this. Three teams are playing each other, and the points table is still wide open at the start of the second half. A defeat on Thursday would leave the losing side with nothing to show at the midway mark. Whoever wins will have to keep that momentum going through the remaining matches.
