Co-Inventor of DLS method in cricket, Frank Duckworth, dies at age 84

Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis invented the DL method. Duckworth passed away on June 21.

Frank Duckworth, one half of the famous Duckworth-Lewis (DL) method, which was later renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS), died at the age of 84 last week. The famous English statistician passed away on June 21, Friday.

Duckworth famously invented the DL method with Tony Lewis and it was first used in international cricket in 1997. This method was established in cricket as a standard measure to determine the revised target in rain-affected matches.

The method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the standard measure in rain-hit matches in 2001. Now known as the DLS method, it was previously known as the Duckworth-Lewis method. In 2014, the name was changed to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (DLS) after Australian statistician Steven Stern made important modifications to these rules.

Both Tony Lewis and Frank Duckworth were awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in June 2010. Lewis passed away in 2020.

Recently, the DLS method was used during the rain-hit game between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The ICC’s General Manager – Cricket Operations, Wasim Khan, released a press statement about the demise of Duckworth. Khan added that Duckworth’s contribution to the game is huge and the cricket world is sad because of his passing.

“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 said in a press statement.

“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,” Wasim Khan added.

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