Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method: Step-by-Step Calculation Explained

Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) calculates revised targets in rain-affected limited-overs games. It's replaced the earlier Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) since 2014. Here's the step-by-step maths, with worked examples.

What DLS actually measures

Resources remaining — expressed as % of a full innings — based on balls left AND wickets in hand.

The resource table

ICC publishes the official resource % table. 50-over: 100% → 0% across 300 balls. 20-over: 100% → 0% across 120 balls. Wickets lost accelerate the decline.

Worked example 1 — T20 rain reset

Team A: 180/4 in 20 overs (100% resources). Rain stops Team B at 90/3 after 10 overs. Resources used: ~55%. Revised target = 180 × (55/100) = 99 (Team B needs 10+ to win). See our DLS method cricket explained.

Worked example 2 — ODI truncation

Team A: 280/6 in 50 overs. Team B reduced to 35 overs. Resources: ~78%. New target = 280 × 0.78 + 1 = 219.

Why it replaced D/L

D/L underestimated high-scoring modern games. Steven Stern's 2014 update fixed that.

Where DLS is NOT used

First-class / Test cricket (no over-limit). T10 uses a simplified par-score table.

Related reading

DLS method cricket explained and rain rules cricket reserve days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DLS stand for?

Duckworth-Lewis-Stern — named after the three statisticians.

Why does DLS account for wickets?

Wickets remaining affect scoring potential heavily.

Can DLS be applied mid-innings?

Yes — once a minimum over threshold is met (5 overs in T20, 20 in ODI).

Is DLS used in Tests?

No — only in limited-overs cricket.

Who maintains the DLS table?

ICC + Australian Sports Technologies (authored by Steven Stern).

The takeaway

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