English statistician developed the DL method with Tony Lewis and it was first used in international cricket in 1997
Frank Duckworth: 1939-2024 • Getty Images
Frank Duckworth, one of the inventors of the Duckworth-Lewis (later Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches, died on Friday, June 21 at the age of 84.
The original method, devised by English statisticians Duckworth and Tony Lewis, was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was formally adopted by the ICC as the standard for setting revised targets in truncated games in 2001. In 2014, it was renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after the retirement of Duckworth and Lewis and the modifications made to the system by Australian statistician Steven Stern.
Duckworth and Lewis were both awarded MBEs in June 2010.
The DL method replaced the rain rule that was used previously to calculate targets in interrupted matches, most infamously during the 1992 ODI World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa in Sydney.
The ICC released a statement condoling Duckworth’s death and acknowledging his contribution to the game. Duckworth was a consultant statistician with the ICC until 2014.
“Frank was a top statistician who was respected by peers as well as the wider cricket fraternity. The DLS method that he co-created has stood the test of time and we have continued to use it in international cricket more than two decades after its inception,” Wasim Khan, the ICC General Manager – Cricket Operations, was quoted via a press release.
“Frank’s contribution to the game has been immense and the world of cricket is poorer with his death. We send our condolences to his family and friends.”
