Tony Lewis of the Duckworth-Lewis rain rule for limited-overs had passed away at the age of 78.
The Duckworth-Lewis rain rule is a method which was first used in an ODI match between Zimbabwe and England in 1996-1997. This rule which was implemented at the 1999 World Cup by the ICC had been developed by mathematicians Tony Lewis and Frank Duckworth. On April 1, 2020, Tony Lewis passed away at the age of 78.
‘It is with much sadness that the ECB has learned of the passing of Tony Lewis MBE, aged 78', read a statement from the board. 'Cricket is deeply indebted to both Tony and Frank's contributions to the sport. We send our sincere condolences to Tony's family’.
Lewis graduated from Sheffield University after earning his degree in Mathematics and Statistics. Along with Duckworth, the two had made an impressive contribution to cricket when they had developed the rain rule. The rule that had been developed by the two proposed an algorithmic solution about the problems caused by rain delays in the ODI matches of cricket.
Despite many arguments and adjustments made with the formula, it is still considered to be one of the best solutions to the sport’s most intractable problem. In 2010, both Lewis and Duckworth were appointed as MBEs in the 2010 British honours for their undeniable contribution to cricket and mathematics.
To date, no alternative method has been found by the ICC to be as effective as the DLS rain rule. The DLS is applied to ODIs by the ICC. To learn more about ODI matches, head over to Betwala.
READ MORE: A Beginner’s Guide on How to Play Cricket
