Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method calculates revised targets in rain-interrupted limited-overs cricket. Each team starts with 100% of resources (overs × wickets in hand); rain interruptions reduce available resources proportionally. The target is revised based on the ratio of Team 2’s remaining resources to Team 1’s used resources. Originally developed by Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, it was refined by Steve Stern in 2014. The full resource tables are published by the ICC, though the underlying algorithm remains confidential.
- Revises targets after weather interruptions
- Both teams start with 100% resources
- Resources = overs remaining × wickets in hand
- Managed by ICC; algorithm is confidential
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The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method exists because a simple 'run rate comparison' is unfair when rain shortens a match — a team batting second needs a fair target that accounts for how many overs and wickets they have left relative to the original match length, and DLS's statistical model (built from historical scoring data) handles that calculation far more accurately than a basic proportional adjustment would.
FAQ
Why is a simple run-rate comparison unfair for rain-affected matches?
It ignores how many wickets a team has in hand — a team with 8 wickets left has far more scoring potential than one with 2, even at the same run rate, so DLS factors in both overs and wickets remaining.
Who decides the DLS target during a match?
Match officials use DLS software with pre-loaded statistical tables to calculate the revised target the moment a rain interruption changes the available overs.