Frank Duckworth, a co-developer of the Duckworth-Lewis method for setting revised targets in rain-affected limited-overs cricket matches, has passed away at 84.
Together with fellow statistician Tony Lewis, Duckworth crafted a formula that the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially adopted in 1999.
The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) in London stated, “Frank will be remembered for his editorial work with RSS News and his contributions to cricket.”
In 1992, Duckworth presented a paper titled ‘A fair result in foul weather’ at an RSS conference. This paper was motivated by the controversial finish to the 1992 World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa. Rain disrupted the game calculations, leaving South Africa needing 22 runs from a single ball.
The conference presentation brought Duckworth and Lewis together, and their joint effort yielded a formula first implemented during England’s 1999 one-day series against Zimbabwe.
