Caption: Frank Duckworth, left, and Tony Lewis. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
By Prior Beharry
ONE half of the team that devised the Duckworth-Lewis method for calculating target scores in limited-overs cricket matches shortened by bad weather has died.
Frank Duckworth along with fellow statistician Tony Lewis developed the method known as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) that was adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1999 and has been used ever since.
It was used as recently as last night at Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown St Vincent, during the ICC T20 World Cup game between Afghanistan and Bangladesh which was affected by rain. Afghanistan won and are now in the semi-finals against South Africa in Trinidad on Wednesday. There is reserve day for this game, but not for the other semis between India and England in Guyana on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed its sorrow at the death of Duckworth, co-creator of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS), method that is used for regulating targets in weather-affected limited overs games, a release stated on Tuesday.
Duckworth, 84, who was a consultant statistician with the ICC until 2014, passed on Friday.
ICC General Manager – Cricket Operations, Wasim Khan, condoled Duckworth’s death and acknowledged his contribution to the game.
Khan said, “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.
“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.”
The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) said in a statement: “Fellows will be sad to learn that Frank Duckworth passed away on 21 June 2024, at the age of 84.
Duckworth was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2010.
“Frank will be remembered largely for his contributions to the Society as editor of RSS News, and to cricket as the co-inventor of the Duckworth Lewis method.”
