Imagine you are playing Cricket in the largest cricket stadium in the world, and suddenly, a massive downpour starts. What will be the next step?
Cricket is all about prediction and luck, apart from discipline and hard work. Sometimes, the game becomes unpredictable due to weather changes, making it difficult to choose the winner.
Here is where the DLS method in Cricket appears. This method makes it easy to calculate the points and select the winner of a match interrupted by rain. In this blog, I have shared everything about the DLS method in Cricket. Read the blog until the end to know more.
What is the DLS method in Cricket?
In Cricket, the DLS method is a mathematical formula used to calculate the points of a match interrupted by rain. The technique was initially implemented in 1997. It was invented by Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis and named after them as the Duckworth-Lewis Method. Afterwards, the same method was implemented in 2015, before the ICC World Cup. Australian academic Steve Stern updated the formula; thus, his name was updated in the formula as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. The DLS method ensures that the calculated results reveal a fair target score for the team batting second based on the number of overs left and the targets lost. It is also helpful in setting a new target that reflects the reduced target and the resources left.
How does the DLS method work?
The DLS method works on the principle that allocates revised targets to the players based on the resources left. The rate of resource depletion is not constant throughout the play. The DLS method calculates the runs scored by both teams if the resources scored by both teams are equal.
However, the DLS method has rules and a formula to calculate it. The formula to calculate the DLS method is Team 2’s par score = Team 1’s score x (Team 2’s resources/Team 1’s resources). The Duckworth-Lewis method was first used in the match between Zimbabwe and England in 1996-1997, in which Zimbabwe won seven runs. Even the game was formally approved by the International Cricket Council in 1999.
How beneficial is the DLS method in Cricket?
The DLS method is highly beneficial to cricket players in the following ways.
Equitable
The DLS method adjusts fair target scores in the match based on the overs and wickets remaining. Therefore, it provides fair data and equality for both sides.
Accuracy
The DLS method creates and uses extensive and historical data for accurate calculations. Thus, the DLS method helps provide accurate calculations and data.
Versatility
The DLS method is a versatile format that works even for different limited-overs matches like ODIs and T20s.
Acceptable
The DLS method is accepted by almost all the cricket boards endorsed by the International Cricket Council.
The following are the benefits of the DLS method in Cricket.
What are the criticisms faced by the DLS method in Cricket?
Many critics claim that the assumptions and the formula applied to the DLS method in the cricket world are impossible to use in the real world. In some instances, there are also chances that you might look at a contradictory result as the generalized model that reflects the specific nuances in every game. But despite everything, their method is still used in matches today, with many spectators, consumers, and players affected in the middle of the game. It is still taken into practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum overs for the DLS method in Cricket?
In the DLS method, both teams must have faced at least twenty overs in an ODI match for the process to be completely applicable until and unless both teams are bowled out or if the second team chases the score in less than twenty overs.
What is a par score in the DLS method?
In the DLS method, the par score is calculated as the runs scored by both teams if the resources available are equal. To express this in simple terms, I have identified the formula clearly so it is easy to find the Par score. Here, the formula to calculate the par score is Team 2’s par score = Team 1’s score x (Team 2’s resources/Team 1’s resources).
Who invented the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method?
The Duckworth-Lewis Stern Method was initially proposed by two famous personalities, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis. However, Stern later promoted the formula by adding additional features, and thus, the formula was renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method or DLS method.
Is the DLS method used in IPL?
Since the first season, the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method has been introduced in the IPL and was formally adopted by the ICC for international fixtures in cricket matches.
What is an alternative to the DLS method?
Another alternative to the DLS method in Cricket is the VJD method, a proposed method for calculating the target scores affected by one-day twenty cricket matches. The technique was devised by V. Jayadevan, an Indian Engineer, instead of this DLS method.
The DLS method is an effective strategy for matches interrupted by rain. It is fair and also provides efficient results without interrupting ethics. Thus, implementing it to the fullest can be assumed to be carried out even in the distant future of the sports era.
