Cricket DLS Method: How Rain Targets Are Calculated
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method revises limited-overs cricket targets after lost play by comparing each side’s run-scoring resources, principally overs and wickets remaining. Because those resources interact, targets are not calculated by simply preserving the original required run rate.
Timeline
- Before interruption: The innings uses resources as overs are bowled and wickets fall; the scorer records the exact match state.
- Overs lost or innings ended: The official DLS calculation compares resources available to the two teams and produces a revised whole-number target or par score.
- Resumption or abandonment: The chase uses the new target; if play cannot resume after the format’s minimum, the score is compared with the par score at suspension.
Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, or DLS, is the ICC method for resetting targets in rain-interrupted limited-overs cricket. It aims to preserve the competitive relationship between the teams after one side loses batting opportunity. The method does not merely divide the first-innings score by overs and keep that run rate. Instead it estimates run-scoring resources available to each side, chiefly the combination of balls or overs remaining and wickets still available. [1][2][3]
Overs and wickets interact. Ten wickets with 20 overs left provide more attacking capacity than two wickets with the same 20 overs, while wickets in hand are less useful if only a few balls remain. At a suspension, the calculation identifies resources available before and after the interruption; lost resources depend on the score state and time remaining. This is why removing five overs can produce different adjustments at 20/0 and 150/8. [2][3]
If the chasing team receives fewer resources than the team batting first, the revised target is generally reduced according to their relative resources. If interruptions during the first innings left that team with fewer resources and the chase has more, the target can be increased. Elite cricket uses the current ICC DLS calculator rather than the public Standard Edition tables. Model parameters reflect scoring data and have been updated as limited-overs scoring patterns changed. [2][3][4]
Target and par score are related but not identical. The target is the whole-number score required to win after a revised allocation; one run fewer is the tie score. If the second innings is later abandoned after enough overs for a result, officials compare the batting side’s actual score at suspension with the DLS par score for that exact number of wickets and balls. Equal to par is a tie; above or below determines the run margin. [1][5][6]
Several interruptions can trigger several recalculations. A target shown at the start of a chase may change after another delay because fewer overs remain and the team may also have lost wickets before the stoppage. A wicket immediately before rain can therefore raise the later required rate more than spectators expect. Penalty runs and the exact legal ball count also matter, so unofficial phone calculators may disagree with the match scorer. [1][2][5]
A result requires the minimum innings length in the applicable playing conditions. Current ICC men’s ODI conditions use a minimum of 20 overs for the side batting second, while T20 internationals use five overs, unless the side has already completed a chase or been dismissed as the rules allow. Tournament or domestic regulations can differ. If the minimum cannot be reached, the match may be a no result rather than a DLS win. [5][6][7]
To interpret a broadcast graphic, note the revised number of overs, wickets already lost, target to win and par score at the next potential stopping point. Do not infer the proprietary professional calculation from required run rate alone. The stable principle is resource equity; the official output comes from the approved calculator and current playing conditions. When a live number changes, use the scorecard or match officials’ announcement, which incorporates the exact interruption and penalties. [1][3][5]
Sources
- ICC — Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Methodology Regulations
- ICC — DLS Frequently Asked Questions
- ICC Playing Handbook — Standard Edition Resource Tables and Explanation
- ICC — Release of Updated DLS System
- ICC — Men’s ODI Clause 16: The Result
- ICC — Current ODI Playing Conditions
- ICC — Current Men’s T20 International Playing Conditions