So it becomes necessary that there should be some determining factor, which will help in making the final decision of the match. Technically speaking it is a way to calculate the target score to decide the winning team in an interrupted one-day cricket match. Duckworth Lewis Method for curtailed matches has been accepted worldwide.
Two great statisticians named Frank C. Duckworth and Anthony J. Lewis (nickname Tony) devised the Duckworth Lewis Method for curtailed matches. This method was made to overcome the shortcomings of the method in use of that time – namely the average scoring rate and/or the best-scoring overs method, which was used in the 1992 Cricket World Cup when South Africa requiring 22 runs from 13 balls and the inclement weather reduced the target to 22 runs from one ball.
The Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method for curtailed matches is based on “resources”. It is considered that every team has two “resources” and based on that the calculation is made. The two resources are the number of overs the team has to receive and the number of wickets the team has in hand. Keeping these two resources in mind and by applying this method a team’s ability to score runs could be calculated and thus the target score could be set. If the other team crosses this score then it will win otherwise it will lose.
One needs to know the resources available to the team at the time of suspension of the match and at its resumption, to calculate the revised target of the curtailed match.
When the side batting second, have less run scoring resources at their disposal than the side which batted first, than their target is adjusted downwards using the ratio of the resources available to the two sides.
But when the side batting first has its innings interrupted, then the side batting second have more resources at their disposal; and now it is necessary to adjust the target upwards.
In this case the adjustment is based on the runs that would be expected to be scored on average from the extra resources at their disposal. The number of these extra runs required is calculated by applying the excess resource percentage to the average total score in a 50-over innings, the value of 235 runs is used at present.
When the revised target has been calculated and the match has been played out to its completion, the result is described;
if the 2nd team reach the target score – they win by the number of wickets remaining to be out;
and if they do not reach the target – then they lose by the runs needed to achieve a tie.
One run short of the revised target results in a tie.
The figures given in the table are percentages of the resources available for a complete 50-over innings.
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