The covers come on at the Chinnaswamy mid-chase. Twenty minutes later the screen says the target is now something completely different, and a "par score" has appeared from nowhere. Half the stadium is confused. The other half is pretending not to be.
That's the DLS method at work. This lesson explains where it came from, the one idea it rests on (resources), how a revised target is worked out, and what the par score actually means. You'll also see why it matters if you follow markets on SILVEREXCH during a rain-hit game.
What is the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method?
DLS is the system used to set fair targets when weather cuts overs from a limited-overs match. It was devised by two statisticians, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, and first used in international cricket in 1997. Later, Steven Stern updated the model, and around 2014 to 2015 it was renamed Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
Before DLS, rain rules mostly scaled targets by overs alone. That ignored something obvious to anyone who's watched a chase: a side with ten wickets in hand can attack much harder than a side eight down. DLS fixed that.
How do resources work in DLS?
The key idea is that a batting side has two resources: overs remaining and wickets in hand. At the start of a 50-over innings, it has 100% of its resources. Every ball bowled and every wicket lost uses some up.
Overs remaining
More overs left means more time to score. But the relationship isn't straight-line. Losing the last ten overs costs more than ten overs' worth of average scoring, because that's when sides usually accelerate.
Wickets in hand
This is where most people trip up. Two sides at the same score after the same overs can have very different resources. One at 120/2 still has plenty to come. One at 120/7 doesn't. DLS treats them differently, which is why wickets matter so much in a rain-hit chase.
Official resource tables, run through software in professional cricket, give a percentage for every combination of overs left and wickets lost. When you follow a rain-affected game on SILVEREXCH, three things on the card feed that calculation:
- Overs bowled so far, and how many are now available.
- Wickets lost at the moment of each stoppage.
- The first innings total, and whether that innings was itself shortened.
How a revised target is calculated
The simple version: compare the resources each side had. If the chasing side gets fewer resources, its target comes down in proportion.
Say a side bats its full 50 overs and makes 262. Before the chase starts, rain cuts it to 40 overs. A 40-over innings with all ten wickets in hand is worth, very roughly, 89% of a full one. So par is about 262 × 0.89, or 233, and the target becomes around 234. These numbers are approximate and only for illustration; the official figure comes from the current DLS software.
| Situation | Effect on chasing side's resources | Usual effect on target |
|---|---|---|
| Overs cut before the chase begins | Lower, all wickets intact | Target reduced |
| Overs cut mid-chase, few wickets down | Large chunk of resources lost | Target reduced noticeably |
| Overs cut mid-chase, many wickets down | Less lost, since little was left | Target reduced only a little |
| First innings cut short | Chasing side may have more resources | Target can be raised above the actual score |
What does the DLS par score mean?
The par score is the score the chasing side should have at this exact moment, given the overs used and wickets lost, to be level with the target. Broadcasters show it live during rain threats.
If play is abandoned and no more can happen, the side ahead of par wins. Picture the side chasing 263 at 120/2 after 25 overs. Suppose the tables put par at around 125. If rain ends the game there, they lose by about five runs. If they'd been 130/2, they'd win. Lose a couple more wickets and par goes up, because more of their resources are gone.
Does DLS work the same in T20s?
Yes, the same principle applies, with resource values for a 20-over game. In a T20 a minimum number of overs must be bowled in the second innings for a result, usually five, though competition rules can differ. Because T20 innings are so short, a single over or wicket swings par sharply. In an IPL game with rain about, par can shift a lot in one over.
How DLS affects betting on SILVEREXCH
Rain changes prices on SILVEREXCH quickly. Say you backed the chasing side before the match for ₹1,000 at 2.20, a potential profit of ₹1,200. A shower is ten minutes away and your side is five runs behind par. The market will lean against them. Knowing where par sits tells you whether that drift makes sense, and whether trading out with a lay is worth considering. The method for that is in Back and Lay Betting Explained: Liability and Trading Out.
Session markets on SILVEREXCH have their own rules for interrupted play, so read the rules on each Normal market before betting in uncertain weather.
Key takeaways
- DLS was introduced in 1997 and renamed Duckworth-Lewis-Stern around 2014 to 2015.
- Resources are overs remaining plus wickets in hand.
- Revised targets scale with the resources each side had.
- The par score tells you who's ahead if play stops now.
Frequently asked questions
Why does losing wickets raise the DLS par score?
Because wickets are a resource. A side with fewer wickets in hand can't attack as freely, so DLS assumes it has less scoring potential left. To be level with the target, it must already have more runs on the board. That's why a late wicket before rain can be so costly.
Can the DLS target be higher than the first innings score?
Yes. If the first innings was cut short while that side still had wickets in hand and was planning to accelerate, the chasing side may end up with more resources overall. DLS then adjusts the target upwards to reflect the runs the first side could have scored.
Where can I see the par score during a match?
Broadcasters usually show it on screen once rain threatens. You can also follow overs and wickets live on the SILVEREXCH live score page, which gives you everything that changes resources ball by ball, and compare it with the par shown on the broadcast.
Follow a rain-hit game with fresh eyes
Next time the forecast looks grey, keep the live score open and track par alongside the wickets column. It helps to be fluent with the card first, so revisit How to Read a Cricket Scorecard: A Step-by-Step Lesson if overs notation still trips you up, and see how conditions shape the toss in Does the Toss Matter in Cricket? Reading Pitch and Dew First.