Calculate revised cricket targets using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for rain-interrupted limited-overs matches.
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is the standard system used in cricket to calculate revised targets in rain-interrupted limited-overs matches. Originally developed by Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in 1997, and later refined by Steven Stern, it's now the mandatory method used by the ICC for all international one-day and T20 matches affected by weather delays.
The system works on the principle that a team has two resources available—overs remaining and wickets in hand—and assigns a percentage value to each combination. When overs are lost due to rain, the target is adjusted based on the resources available to each team. This eliminates the unfairness of earlier systems like average run rate or most productive overs.
This calculator implements a simplified version of the DLS standard edition resource table. Enter the match situation when play was interrupted and the reduced overs available, and it calculates the revised target for the chasing team. It also shows par scores at various points in the innings.
Understanding DLS calculations helps cricket fans follow rain-affected matches and evaluate whether revised targets are fair. Keep these notes focused on your operational context. Tie the context to the calculator’s intended domain. Use this clarification to avoid ambiguous interpretation. Align this note with review checkpoints. Apply this where interpretation shifts by use case.
DLS Revised Target = Team 1 Score × (Team 2 Resources / Team 1 Resources) + 1 (if Team 2 has more resources lost). Resource % from standard DLS table based on overs remaining and wickets lost. Par score = Team 1 Score × (Resources Used by Team 2 / Team 1 Total Resources).
Result: Revised target: 253
Team 1 scored 280 in 50 overs (100% resources). Team 2's overs reduced from 50 to 40 (losing 10 overs at 0 wickets = ~10.2% resources lost), leaving ~89.8% resources. Revised target: 280 × 89.8/100 + 1 = 253.
The DLS standard resource table assigns a percentage to every combination of overs remaining (0-50) and wickets lost (0-10). At the start of a 50-over innings with 0 wickets lost, resources are 100%. With 40 overs remaining and 0 wickets lost, resources are approximately 89.8%. With 40 overs remaining and 2 wickets lost, resources drop to about 76.5%. As wickets fall and overs decrease, resources tend toward zero.
Before DLS, cricket used the "Average Run Rate" method, which was widely considered unfair as it didn't account for wickets. The infamous 1992 World Cup semi-final (South Africa vs England) highlighted the absurdity of the "most productive overs" method, where South Africa's target changed from 22 runs off 13 balls to 22 off 1 ball after a 12-minute rain delay. DLS was specifically designed to prevent such injustices.
The DLS Standard Edition uses a predetermined table that doesn't adapt to actual scoring conditions. In extremely high-scoring matches (e.g., 400+ in ODIs) or low-scoring matches (e.g., 100 all out), the standard resource table may not perfectly reflect the true difficulty of the chase. The Professional Edition, used in international cricket, dynamically adjusts for the actual scoring rate, but its exact algorithm is not publicly available.
DLS calculates what percentage of scoring resources each team has (based on overs and wickets). If rain reduces one team's resources, the target is adjusted proportionally so neither team gains an unfair advantage.
Resources are the combination of overs remaining and wickets in hand, expressed as a percentage. A team starting a 50-over innings with 10 wickets has 100% resources. As overs pass and wickets fall, resources decrease.
If the batting team (Team 2) starts with fewer overs but 10 wickets, they have proportionally more firepower per over. If this creates a resource advantage over what Team 1 had when they batted, runs are added to the target.
Yes, DLS is used in T20 internationals and major T20 leagues. The same resource table applies but with only 20 overs. A minimum of 5 overs per side is needed for a valid T20 result.
The DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method replaced the original D/L method in 2014 when Steven Stern updated the model. The Professional Edition uses a more complex algorithm than the Standard Edition.
DLS can produce results that feel unjust in certain situations, particularly in T20s where losing a few overs creates larger resource changes. However, it remains the most mathematically fair system available.