what is dls method in cricket

The DLS method, also known as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, is a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited overs cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. The method is an attempt to set a statistically fair target for the second teams innings, which is the same difficulty as the original target. The basic principle is that each team in a limited-overs match has two resources available with which to score runs (overs to play and wickets remaining), and the target is adjusted proportionally to the change in the combination of these two resources. The DLS method was first used in a match between Zimbabwe and England on January 1, 1997, and was officially adopted by ICC's calculation method for rain-affected games in 1999. The DLS method is generally accepted to be the most accurate method of setting a target score.