Duckworth Lewis History is not well-known. Also known as DL method, it has come in handy on several occasions for Indian cricket fans. With the team struggling in rain-truncated matches, it was this method that had always ensured the game gets finished.
Duckworth Lewis is a mathematical formula that comes into play when rain interrupts a cricket match. It particularly affects the team batting second since the target gets revised. You can never ignore the Duckworth-Lewis method while you engage in online cricket betting.
It was first introduced in 1997 and then was adopted in 1999 officially by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In this article, we will take a look at this method, who invented it and the history of Duckworth Lewis.
Duckworth Lewis History
The Duckworth-Lewis method came into the picture in 1997 and it was only two years later that ICC adopted it officially into its fold.
It was established by two English statisticians called Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis. Hence the name Duckworth-Lewis.
Later as the duo retired, Professor Steven Stern became the sole custodian. In 2014, it was renamed into Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method after which it was abbreviated into the DLS method.
1992 World Cup Played A Key Role
It was the fateful World Cup semi-final match that turned out to be a big motivating factor for this English duo.
England were taking on South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Chasing 253 for a win, South Africa needed 22 off 13 when the rain stopped the match. But when the match resumed, the scoreboard flashed an improbable target: 22 needed off 1 ball. This was impossible.
Back then two techniques were used.
Average Run Rate Method: Where the team’s net run rate was taken into account, no matter how many wickets they lose.
Productive Over Method: This method never took into consideration the number of wickets but would even penalise the team batting second by ignoring their best over while setting a revised target.
As can be seen, both the processes were flawed.
That night, it was the Productive Over Method that was used, ensuring the ill-fated exit of South Africa. This shook the cricketing world since South Africa had played great cricket to reach the last four.
This also severely affected the morale of their team as they were branded chokers from there on and never managed to win a single multi-nation trophy ever.
This incident also paved the way for the British duo to devise something new.
How Does Duckworth Lewis Work?
Before we understand how it works, we first need to understand that it comes into play only when the first innings has already taken place. If the first innings is yet to get over, and the rain doesn’t subside, the game gets called off.
Nevertheless, if the rain had arrived after the culmination of the first innings, then the Duckworth-Lewis method comes into play and sets a revised target to the team batting second.
It specifically takes into account two things
● The number of overs left.
● Number of wickets in hand.
So why does it take these two things into consideration? The reason is very simple.
No team will chase down the same target and that too in the same scenario.
Because a team with ten wickets in hand and 25 overs to bat can play more aggressively than if they had ten wickets and a full 50 overs
So these two factors are taken into consideration and the target is adjusted accordingly.
Sometimes these calculations change the course of the match.
Concluding Thoughts on Duckworth Lewis History
To be frank, the DLS method changed the way cricket was played. But, it also made the game very complicated to understand.
Today an average Indian cricket fan doesn’t know how the scores get calculated.
However, the calculations by the DLS method have ensured that the score remains viable and chasable.
Do you think that DL method will come into play during this world cup 2023? Share your thoughts.
