You are watching a match. Rain stops play. The teams go off. Twenty minutes later, the ground staff rolls the covers back, the umpires walk out, and the target changes. The crowd murmurs. The commentators say “par score” three times in a row and move on, assuming everyone understands.
Most people do not. And that is not their fault. The Duckworth-Lewis method is one of cricket’s least explained but most match-deciding rules. This post breaks it down plainly, from what a par score in cricket actually means to how D/L changes a run chase in real time.
Key takeaways
- The par score in cricket is the minimum runs a batting team needs to be “level” with the opposition at any point in a rain-interrupted match.
- The Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method calculates par score using two resources: overs remaining and wickets in hand.
- If a match is called off due to rain, the team batting second wins if their score equals or exceeds the par score at that moment.
- D/L applies to limited-overs cricket only: ODIs, T20Is, and most domestic white-ball formats.
- A revised target is different from a par score. The revised target is what you need to win outright. The par score is what you need to avoid losing.
What does ‘par score’ mean in cricket?
The par score in cricket is the score a team batting second must reach to be level with, or ahead of, the target set by the Duckworth-Lewis calculation at any given point. If rain ends the match early, the team batting second wins if they have matched or passed that par score.
Think of it this way: in a normal chase, you either get the runs or you do not. In a D/L match, the par score moves with every over and every wicket. It reflects exactly how much the chasing team “should” have scored by that point, given the resources they had available.
This is what makes D/L different from a simple run-rate calculation. It does not just ask,
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"How many overs and wickets did you have, and what is a fair score given those resources?"
How the Duckworth-Lewis method works
The D/L method was developed by statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in the 1990s and first used in international cricket in 1997. Since 2014, the method has been refined and is officially called the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, after Professor Steven Stern updated the formula.
At the core of D/L is a simple idea: a batting team has two resources.
- Overs remaining
- Wickets in hand
The method assigns a percentage value to every combination of these two resources. A team with 50 overs and 10 wickets has 100% of its resources. As overs are used and wickets fall, that percentage shrinks.
When rain interrupts play, the method compares the resources lost by each team. If Team 2 loses overs due to rain, their target is adjusted based on the percentage of resources they have left compared to what Team 1 had. The par score at any point reflects what a team of average ability would score with the resources they have used so far.
Why does a simple run rate not work
The most common question fans ask is, 'Why not just adjust by run rate?' The answer is wickets.
Consider this: a team batting at 120/2 after 20 overs in a 50-over match is in a very different position from a team at 120/8 after 20 overs. Both have scored 120. Their run rate is identical. But one team has 8 wickets in hand and 30 overs to come. The other has 2 wickets and is nearly done.
D/L accounts for this. A simple run-rate method does not. That is why D/L has been used in international cricket for over 25 years.
Par score vs revised target: what is the difference?
These two terms get mixed up constantly, even in commentary. Here is the clear distinction:
| Term | What it means | When it applies |
| Par score | The score Team 2 must reach to be level at the current point | Used if the rain stops play mid-innings and the match is called off |
| Revised target | The new total: Team 2 needs to win the match | Set when rain reduces overs but play continues |
| D/L target | Another name for the revised target | Often used interchangeably |
The par score changes ball by ball during a rain-interrupted innings. The revised target is fixed once the umpires confirm the new overs. Both come from the same D/L calculation, but they serve different situations.
If the match resumes after rain and 10 overs are lost, Team 2 gets a revised target to chase over their reduced allocation. If the match cannot resume and is called off, the result goes to the par score at the moment play stopped.
A real example: how par score is calculated in practice
Suppose Team 1 scores 280 in 50 overs. Team 2 begins their chase. After 25 overs, Team 2 is on 130/3. Rain arrives. The match cannot resume.
The D/L calculation looks at what resources Team 1 used and what resources Team 2 had when play stopped. Based on the standard resource table, a team at 25 overs bowled with 7 wickets in hand has used roughly 54% of their resources. The par score for 54% of Team 1's total (280) is around 151.
Team 2 scored 130. They are below par. Team 1 wins by 21 runs on D/L.
Had Team 2 scored 155 at that point, they would have been above par, and the match would have been awarded to them.
This is a simplified illustration. The actual D/L resource table is more granular, and the calculation accounts for the exact overs and wickets at the moment play is stopped.
When is the D/L method applied?
D/L applies in limited-overs cricket when:
- Rain or bad light interrupts either innings
- At least a minimum number of overs has been bowled (usually 20 overs in a 50-over match and 10 in a T20)
- The match cannot be completed in full
It does not apply in Test cricket. Tests have multiple sessions and follow-on rules to handle time lost to weather.
In domestic cricket, T20 leagues, and club tournaments, D/L is the standard. Some grassroots tournaments use simplified versions or manually follow the D/L table published by the ICC. If your team plays in any organised format and your ground sees rain, knowing how the par score in cricket is calculated is genuinely useful.
What to remember about par score
The par score in cricket is not a number pulled from thin air. It is a calculated benchmark based on exactly how many overs and wickets each team had available. D/L rewards teams that were ahead on resources at the point of interruption and penalises teams that were behind.
Understanding the 'par score' meaning helps you read rain-affected matches clearly, whether you are watching a World Cup knockout or organising your club's weekend T20. The next time the target changes after a rain break, you will know exactly why.
Every match your team plays, every over your team bowls, and every run your team scores tells a story worth tracking. Log your next match on CricHeroes and make sure that story has a proper record behind it.
Common questions about par score in cricket
What is the par score in cricket?
The par score in cricket is the score the batting team needs to match the D/L calculation at a specific point in a rain-affected match. If the match stops early, Team 2’s score is compared with the par score to decide the result.
What is the D/L method in simple terms?
The Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method adjusts targets in rain-affected matches based on two factors: overs remaining and wickets in hand. It ensures a fair revised target when playing time is reduced.
What is the par score's meaning when rain stops play mid-innings?
The par score is the minimum score Team 2 must reach for a tie or win when rain interrupts the innings. 'Above par' means a win; 'below par' means a loss.
Who invented the Duckworth-Lewis method?
The method was created by English statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis in the 1990s. It is now updated by Steven Stern and officially called the DLS method.
Does D/L apply in T20 matches?
Yes, the D/L method is used in T20 matches. A minimum of 10 overs is required for a result in most T20 games.
Can a team win by a negative margin under D/L?
No. If Team 2 is exactly at par when the match ends, the game is a tie. Above par means a win, while below par means a loss.
Why does the target sometimes go up when overs are reduced?
The target may increase if Team 2 loses lower-scoring overs but still keeps high-scoring death overs. The D/L method adjusts for the scoring potential of the remaining overs.
What is the minimum over rule in D/L?
In ODIs, at least 20 overs must be played for a result. In T20s, the minimum is 10 overs. If fewer overs are possible, the match is abandoned.
How do I know the par score during a live match?
The par score is shown on TV broadcasts, live scorecards, and cricket scoring apps during rain-affected matches.
Is D/L always fair?
No method is perfect, but D/L is considered much fairer than older systems. The updated DLS version improves accuracy, especially in modern T20 cricket.
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Manan Joshi is a cricket writer & content strategist at CricHeroes who covers the game from the ground up — rules, technique, player development, grassroots tournaments, and IPL. His writing is shaped by real insights drawn from millions of live-scored matches, giving him a perspective on recreational cricket that few writers have access to. CricHeroes is the #1 Cricket Scoring App globally, with 4 crore+ cricketers using it to live score their local matches and tournaments. For cricket apparel and accessories, visit the CricHeroes Store.
