Frank Duckworth, Co-Inventor of Cricket’s DLS Method, Passes Away at 84

Frank Duckworth, one of the creators of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, passed away at the age of 84. ESPNcricinfo reported that Duckworth passed away on June 21.

What is the DLS Method?

The DLS method is used to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches. It was originally developed by English statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis and was first used in international cricket in 1997. The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially adopted it in 2001.

Renaming and Modifications

In 2014, the method was renamed Duckworth-Lewis-Stern after Australian statistician Steven Stern made modifications to it. Duckworth and Lewis were awarded MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2010 for their contributions to cricket.

Quotes from Duckworth and Lewis

After receiving the MBE, Duckworth said, “I hope this award demonstrates to the outside world that the country believes we have made a useful contribution to the game – a lot of people haven’t actually realised we are actual people.”

Lewis added, “I was thrilled to get the news and it’s very satisfying that our solution to the rain-interruption problem on one-day cricket has been recognised in this way.”

How Does the DLS Method Work?

The DLS method uses various statistical analyses and factors such as the number of wickets remaining and overs left to determine the revised target in rain-affected matches.