Editing Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (section)

==History and creation==
Various different methods had been used previously to resolve rain-affected cricket matches, with the most common being the [[Average Run Rate method]], and later, the [[Most Productive Overs method]]. 

While simple in nature, these methods had intrinsic flaws and were easily exploitable:
* The Average Run Rate method took no account of wickets lost by the team batting second, but simply reflected their scoring rate when the match was interrupted. If the team felt a rain stoppage was likely, they could attempt to force the scoring rate with no regard for the corresponding highly likely loss of wickets, meaning any comparison with the team batting first would be flawed. 
* The Most Productive Overs method  not only took no account of wickets lost by the team batting second, but also effectively penalised the team batting second for good bowling by ignoring their best overs in setting the revised target.
* Both of these methods also produced revised targets that frequently altered the balance of the match, and they took no account of the match situation at the time of the interruption.

The D/L method was devised by two British [[statistician]]s, [[Frank Duckworth]] and [[Tony Lewis (mathematician)|Tony Lewis]], as a result of the outcome of the [[1992 Cricket World Cup#Semi-finals|semi-final in the 1992 World Cup between England and South Africa]], where the Most Productive Overs method was used. When rain stopped play for 12 minutes, [[South African cricket team|South Africa]] needed 22 runs from 13 balls, but when play resumed, the revised target left South Africa needing 21 runs from one ball, a reduction of only one run compared to a reduction of two overs, and a virtually impossible target given that the maximum score from one ball is generally six runs.<ref>{{cite web|author=Andrew Miller|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/story/280142.html|title=22 off one ball – A farcical rain rule leaves everyone bewildered|publisher=ESPN Sports Media|work=Cricinfo|year=2007}}</ref> Duckworth said, "I recall hearing [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]] on radio saying 'surely someone, somewhere could come up with something better' and I soon realised that it was a mathematical problem that required a mathematical solution."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/274677.html|title=A decade of Duckworth-Lewis|work=Cricinfo|publisher=ESPN Sports Media|date=1 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A decade of Duckworth-Lewis|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricet/6222943.stm |work=BBC Sport|date=1 January 2007}}</ref> The D/L method avoids this flaw: in this match, the revised D/L target of 236 would have left South Africa needing four to tie or five to win from the final ball.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/tms/6502207.stm|title=Stump the Bearded Wonder|work=BBC Sport|date=28 March 2007}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|This presumes that the match was reduced to 45 overs a side from the start, thus reflecting the conditions of how the Most Productive Overs method in place at the time worked. As the length of both innings was reduced due to a slow over rate by South Africa, meaning that England thus lost the more resourceful final overs of their innings, the Duckworth-Lewis method would have initially increased South Africa's target to 275.<ref>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/benson-hedges-world-cup-1991-92-60924/england-vs-south-africa-2nd-semi-final-65155/full-scorecard
	| title = Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - England vs South Africa, 2nd Semi-Final at Sydney, Mar 22 1992 - Full Scorecard
	| date = <!-- not known -->
	| website = ESPNcricinfo
	| access-date = 24 May 2024
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/were-south-africa-really-unlucky-in-the-1992-world-cup-sidharth-monga-1219634
	| title = Were South Africa really unlucky in the 1992 World Cup?
    | last = Monga | first = Sidharth
	| date = 22 March 2020
	| website = ESPNcricinfo
	| access-date = 24 May 2024
}}</ref>}}

The D/L method was first used in international cricket on 1 January 1997 in the [[English cricket team in Zimbabwe in 1996–97#2nd ODI|second match of the Zimbabwe versus England ODI series]], which [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]] won by seven runs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/ENG_IN_ZIM/ENG_ZIM_ODI2_01JAN1997.html|title=Full Scorecard of Zimbabwe v England 2nd ODI 1997|date=1 January 1997|publisher=ESPN Sports Media|work=Cricinfo}}</ref> The D/L method was formally adopted by the [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] in 1999 as the standard method of calculating target scores in rain-shortened [[one-day cricket|one-day]] matches.