A DLS miscalculation resulted in a run being chalked off from England's total during Namibia's run-chase in the T20 World Cup group stage fixture between the sides today (June 15).
The match, scheduled to start at 12:30 pm local time, was delayed due to persistent downpours. Finally, an 11-overs-per-side match started at 4:00 pm local time with England asked to bat first.
The rain wasn't yet done, interrupting England's innings after eight overs with the score on 80-3. The interruption meant the match was reduced further to a 10-over game, with England surging to 122-5 after the resumption.
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (DLS) was then used to readjust England's total, taking into account the lost over. It was communicated that Namibia had been set a revised target of 127, with media outlets, the official ICC broadcast and even the official England Cricket social media accounts posting to that effect. However, those with their own DLS calculators, undertaking their own calculations, quickly speculated that an error had been made.
Midway through the chase, with Namibia at 71-1 after the eighth over, it was confirmed that the given target was incorrect, and the revised total was 126. It is not yet clear what led to the DLS error.
The missing run had no effect on the game, which England won by 41 runs to keep their tournament hopes alive. But it will come as an embarrassment to the ICC, who have already faced several issues in their staging of the T20 World Cup. They were forced to issue a statement due to the poor conditions at the pop-up New York stadium, with Sri Lanka's players also complaining of the logistics and internal travel their team has faced. The ICC's scheduling of the tournament has also been hit by plenty of inclement weather, with the first three games in Florida called off without a ball bowled.
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