The Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method is the prevailing system used to adjust victory targets in ODIs in the event of a rain delay.
It is far more accepted than its predecessors and has far fewer anomalies. Whenever rain interrupts a match, the statistically based D/L method is designed to leave the balance of the match unaltered.
Where other, failed methods crucially overlooked the importance of wickets lost at the point of delay, the D/L method incorporates this factor into its involved tapestry of calculation.
It is much easier to chase 100 runs with ten wickets left than with one wicket left, but the D/L method is the first of its kind to recognise this.
The adjustments that the D/L method makes try to ensure that after a rain break, the status quo of the match is roughly retained.
If the chasing side is ahead when rain arrives, then they are awarded the match if no further play is permitted. This has given rise to a whole new mentality for teams batting second.
If a side is set 300 for victory - a tall order in any conditions - and rain is forecast, it is conceivable that they will go on the attack from the outset to try to stay 'in front' of the opposition.
Although the D/L method consistently spits out fair equations, its intricate formulae is highly complicated and far too difficult for the ordinary man to comprehend.
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