Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Calculator
Calculate the revised target score for a rain-affected cricket match using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Standard Edition method. Enter how many overs and wickets each team had available, choose the interruption scenario, and the calculator produces the par score and revised target. Results update instantly as you type, and the "Show your work" panel walks through every step.
What is the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method?
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is the official International Cricket Council (ICC) system for setting revised targets in limited-overs cricket matches interrupted by rain or other outside factors. It was devised by statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in the 1990s, refined into the current Professional Edition by Steven Stern in 2014, and has been mandatory at ICC events since 1999. The key insight is that a batting side has two scoring resources: overs remaining and wickets in hand. Earlier systems adjusted only for overs, ignoring the fact that losing wickets is equally costly. DLS converts every combination of overs remaining and wickets lost into a single "resource percentage" drawn from a table calibrated against historical match data, then adjusts the target so that both teams faced a fair share of available resources.
How does this calculator work?
Choose your match format (ODI, T20, or custom), competition level (which sets the G50 constant), and the interruption scenario. G50 is the average runs expected from a full uninterrupted innings: 245 for international and county cricket, 200 for club and recreational matches. The calculator looks up resource percentages from the DLS Standard Edition table, interpolating between the published landmark rows for any over count. If Team 2 has fewer resources than Team 1, the par score is Team 1 score multiplied by (R2 / R1). If Team 2 ends up with more resources (for example because Team 1 was cut short), the par score is Team 1 score plus G50 times the extra resource percentage divided by 100. The revised target to win is the par score plus one. Entering Team 2 current runs lets you see a live status: ahead, behind, or at par.
Interruption scenarios explained
There are four common scenarios. (1) Team 2 delayed: rain prevents Team 2 starting on time, so they receive fewer overs. Their resource percentage is simply that for the reduced over allocation with all wickets remaining. (2) Team 2 innings cut short: Team 2 starts normally but rain ends their innings early. Resources used equal starting resources minus the unused resources left when play stopped. (3) Team 2 innings interrupted mid-innings: rain falls during Team 2 batting. Resources lost equal the difference between what they had when rain started and what they have when they restart, so the target is reduced by exactly that loss. (4) Team 1 innings cut short: Team 1 does not complete their innings. Their resource percentage is only the portion they actually used, and because Team 2 may have more resources available, the target is often increased above Team 1 actual score.
Standard Edition vs Professional Edition
This calculator uses the DLS Standard Edition, which relies on the published resource table and the G50 constant. It is suitable for amateur, club, and educational use and is easy to apply with a printed table. The Professional Edition, mandatory at ICC international matches since 2004, uses the same underlying model but adjusts resource percentages dynamically based on Team 1 actual scoring rate rather than a fixed G50. The two editions give the same result when the match is played at the average scoring rate, but diverge when scores are very high or very low. For an international match you watched, the official DLS calculation from a licensed scorecard will use the Professional Edition; this tool gives a very close approximation.
DLS Standard Edition resource table (selected rows)
| Overs left | 0 wkts | 2 wkts | 4 wkts | 6 wkts | 8 wkts | 9 wkts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 100.0% | 85.1% | 62.7% | 34.9% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 40 | 89.3% | 77.8% | 59.5% | 34.6% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 30 | 75.1% | 67.3% | 54.1% | 33.6% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 25 | 67.3% | 61.1% | 50.5% | 32.9% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 20 | 56.6% | 52.4% | 44.6% | 30.8% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 15 | 44.7% | 41.9% | 37.0% | 27.5% | 11.9% | 4.7% |
| 10 | 32.1% | 30.8% | 28.3% | 22.8% | 11.4% | 4.7% |
| 5 | 17.2% | 16.8% | 16.1% | 14.3% | 9.4% | 4.7% |
| 3 | 10.6% | 10.4% | 10.2% | 9.6% | 7.6% | 4.4% |
Resource percentages for a 50-over match. Rows are overs remaining; columns are wickets lost. The full table is used internally; this shows key reference points.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DLS method in cricket?
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method is the official ICC system for calculating revised targets in rain-affected limited-overs cricket matches. It treats overs remaining and wickets in hand as two separate resources, converts every overs-wickets combination into a resource percentage, and adjusts the target so that both teams faced a proportionally fair match. It replaced earlier methods, which only adjusted for overs lost and produced unfair results when wickets had also been lost.
What is a par score?
The par score is the number of runs Team 2 must equal to force a tie. If play is abandoned with Team 2 at the par score, the match is usually declared a tie; if Team 2 has passed it, they win. The revised target to win is always par plus one. This distinction matters when an abandoned match is being decided: being equal to par means a tie, not a win.
What is G50 and why does it matter?
G50 is the average runs expected from a full uninterrupted innings at the competition level being played. It is set at 245 for international and first-class county matches, and 200 for amateur and club cricket. G50 is used only when Team 2 has more resources than Team 1, to calculate how many extra runs Team 2 should be expected to score with those extra resources. Using a lower G50 for club cricket prevents unfairly large targets in matches where run rates are slower.
How does a mid-innings interruption differ from a delayed start?
A delayed start removes overs before batting begins, so Team 2 starts with all wickets but fewer overs, and the resource table directly gives their percentage. A mid-innings interruption happens while Team 2 is already batting: some wickets may already be lost, and the overs lost in the interruption are more valuable at that point because resources are now shared across fewer wickets. The DLS method correctly accounts for this by reading the resource table at the specific wickets-lost and overs-remaining values before and after the break.
Why does the target sometimes increase when rain interrupts a match?
If Team 1 was cut short by rain and did not use all their resources, they were likely batting conservatively (saving wickets for later overs). The DLS method recognises that they would have scored more runs with those unused overs, so Team 2 cannot simply chase the actual score: the target is increased to reflect what Team 1 would have scored with a full allocation. Similarly, if Team 2 receives more overs than Team 1, the formula adds bonus runs proportional to the extra resources at the G50 rate.
What is the minimum number of overs for a DLS result?
In ODI matches, at least 20 overs must be completed by Team 2 for a result to stand. In T20 matches, the minimum is 5 overs per side. These minimums are set by competition rules, not by DLS itself. Below these thresholds, the match is usually declared no-result or voided.
Is this calculator accurate for official matches?
This tool uses the DLS Standard Edition, which is suitable for club, recreational, and educational purposes. Official ICC international matches use the Professional Edition, implemented in licensed software that adjusts resource percentages based on the actual scoring rate rather than the fixed G50 constant. For most real matches played near the average scoring rate, the two editions give nearly identical results. For very high-scoring or very low-scoring matches, small discrepancies may occur.