Cricket scoring guide | Rain-affected limited-overs matches
The Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method adjusts a cricket match’s target when rain or another interruption reduces playing time. Rather than simply dividing runs by overs, it considers the batting resources available to each side. Those resources depend on overs remaining and wickets already lost.
This guide explains the logic, the difference between a revised target and a par score, and the limitations of online calculators. For a hands-on historical calculation, use our Duckworth Lewis calculator. It implements a published older Standard Edition table, not the modern professional DLS software used for official results.
Why does cricket need the DLS method?
Suppose Team 1 scores freely in a full innings, then rain reduces Team 2’s chase. Asking Team 2 to reach the same total in far fewer overs would usually be unfair. But a direct run-rate adjustment is not reliable either: the chasing side might have planned to preserve wickets for a longer innings, and a batting side with two wickets down has more scoring potential than one with nine wickets down.
DLS addresses this by comparing each team’s opportunity to score. The method assigns a resource value to the overs and wickets a side has available. An interruption removes some of those resources, so the target may change.
What do overs and wickets mean in the resource calculation?
Overs remaining describe how much legal bowling remains available. Wickets lost reflect how many batters have already been dismissed. Both affect a team’s opportunity to score, and they work together rather than as separate adjustments.
A side with 12 overs left and no wickets down has more batting options than a side with 12 overs left and eight wickets down. A resource table captures these differences. The historical Standard Edition uses a published table of percentages; the professional DLS calculation uses a more sophisticated system that cannot be replicated by a simple public table alone.
Cricket overs are written in overs and balls, not decimal fractions. For example, 12.3 means 12 completed overs and three legal deliveries, or 75 legal balls in all. It does not mean 12.3 decimal overs. Our historical D/L calculators accept whole-over interruption boundaries; use an official scoring system when an interruption happens mid-over.
How is a revised Duckworth–Lewis target calculated?
In the historical Standard Edition, the broad process is:
- Establish Team 1’s resources. Start with the resource percentage corresponding to the innings length. Deduct resources lost if the first innings was interrupted or ended early.
- Establish Team 2’s resources. Start with its scheduled opportunity. If rain removes overs, find the resources available immediately before the delay and after the revised allocation. Subtract the lost portion.
- Compare the resources. Call the percentages R1 for Team 1 and R2 for Team 2.
- Calculate the par and target. The historical formula depends on whether Team 2 has fewer, equal or more resources. The winning target is normally one run above the tie score, subject to the match’s playing conditions and penalties.
When Team 2 has fewer resources, a simplified historical Standard Edition relationship is par = floor(Team 1 runs × R2 / R1), with the target to win equal to par + 1. When Team 2 has more resources, a historical G50 scoring parameter accounts for the additional opportunity.
These are historical Standard Edition relationships, not a complete recipe for calculating current professional DLS results. The ICC’s Duckworth–Lewis–Stern reference page links to the governing methodology and resources.
Worked example: why target and par are different
Imagine Team 1 scores 250. For a purely mathematical illustration, assume Team 1 had 100% resources and Team 2 has 80% resources after a rain reduction. These percentages are hypothetical: they have not been looked up from an actual over-and-wicket resource table.
Historical Standard Edition calculation: 250 × 80 / 100 = 200. The illustrative par score is 200, and the revised winning target is 201.
In that example, 200 represents a tie score and 201 a winning target in the simplified arithmetic. It does not mean that any actual 40-over, 20-over or 10-over chase has an 80% resource allocation. Real percentages must be taken from the correct table or official software.
If the chasing team has more resources than the first side, simply multiplying scores by a ratio is not the Standard Edition approach. The historical G50 calculation applies instead. That distinction matters when rain interrupts Team 1 rather than Team 2.
What is the DLS par score during a rain stoppage?
Par score is the score at which the chasing team would be level under the applicable calculation at a particular point. If a match cannot resume, officials may compare Team 2’s actual score with the par score at abandonment. Whether the match can produce a result first depends on minimum-overs and other competition rules.
A revised target is different: it tells Team 2 the winning total required if the innings resumes with a reduced allocation of overs. A par score at an abandonment point and a target after a restart answer different questions.
For a simple second-innings rain scenario, use our dedicated second innings rain calculator. Its displayed results are historical examples, not certified match rulings.
Does the method work differently for T20 and ODI cricket?
The principle is the same: assess the resources available to each team and revise the target where playing time is lost. But a 20-over match does not start with the same absolute resources as a 50-over innings. For historical Standard Edition calculations, use the table values for the actual starting allocation, not a made-up percentage based on 20 divided by 50.
Also check match regulations. T20 and one-day competitions may set different minimum overs needed for a result and different procedures for interruptions. The competition’s published playing conditions and the official scorer’s DLS output are authoritative.
Why does an online DLS result differ from a televised target?
The most important reason is method version. The public historical Duckworth–Lewis Standard Edition is not the same as the contemporary professional Duckworth–Lewis–Stern system used in elite cricket. Multiple stoppages, incomplete overs, penalty runs, applicable scoring parameters and competition rules can also change a result.
Before comparing two numbers, check these details: which team was interrupted, whether it happened before or during the chase, overs and legal balls remaining, wickets lost at each stoppage, whether there were multiple delays, and whether you are comparing a par score with a target to win.
Our site deliberately restricts its D/L examples to a published historical table and stated assumptions. We do not label calculated outputs as an ICC-certified current professional DLS target.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Scaling purely by overs. The wicket position matters as well.
- Treating 14.4 as a decimal. In cricket notation that is 14 overs and four legal balls.
- Confusing par and target. Par is the tie benchmark; the target is what the chasing team needs to win under the applicable calculation.
- Using an outdated model to challenge an official scorecard. Professional DLS software and competition rules take precedence.
- Ignoring repeated interruptions. Each delay can change the resources and the resulting calculation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Duckworth–Lewis method the same as DLS?
DLS stands for Duckworth–Lewis–Stern, the updated method named for Frank Duckworth, Tony Lewis and Steven Stern. The earlier public Standard Edition of Duckworth–Lewis is historically related but should not be confused with the current professional calculation.
Can I find a T20 DLS target from the first innings total alone?
No. A meaningful revised target also needs the match allocation and the rain-interruption situation. Wickets and overs remaining are essential when play stops during an innings.
Does a losing side automatically win if it is ahead of par when rain starts?
No. The game must first satisfy the rules for producing a result. A temporary stoppage may be followed by a restart and a different revised target.
Is there a simple DLS formula for every match?
No. The historical tables support certain simplified calculations. Professional DLS, interruptions during either innings and ball-by-ball situations can require official software and match-specific rules.
What if I need a current official match target?
Use the target announced by the match officials or the tournament’s official scoring service. Online educational calculators are not an alternative to that ruling.
Sources and related tools
Primary reference: ICC, Duckworth Lewis Stern. Additional context: ICC background on the method and its founders. Read our calculation methodology for the assumptions behind the calculators.
Try the historical D/L revised target calculator, the second innings calculator, or the complete cricket calculator directory. All tools on this site are independent and are not official ICC services.