Tony Lewis, the former university lecturer better known for one of the most complex rules of cricket -- the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method which is used in rain-affected matches, died at the age of 78.
"It is with much sadness that the ECB has learned of the passing of Tony Lewis MBE, aged 78," ECB said in a statement.
"Tony, alongside fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth, devised the Duckworth-Lewis method which was introduced in 1997 and adopted officially by the ICC (International Cricket Council) in 1999.
"Renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method in 2014, the mathematical formula continues to be used in rain reduced limited overs cricket games across the globe."
An unlikely star of world cricket, Lewis was propelled to fame in 1999 when his complex formula, devised in conjunction with his fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth, was officially adopted by the governiong body to help calculate fair run-chases in the event of overs being lost to rain during the 1999 World Cup.
The impact duo had on the sport is best illustrated by the problems that rain delays had caused until they came forward with their algorithmic solution in the mid 1990s.
Their calculations may have baffled generations of cricket lovers over the past two decades, but they have been universally recognised as the best solution yet devised to the sport's most intractable problem.
After the retirements of Duckworth and Lewis, Steven Stern became the custodian of the method and his name was added to the system in 2014.
Lewis, a graduate in mathematics and statistics from Sheffield University, retired as a lecturer of Quantitative Research Methods from Oxford Brookes University.
Lewis received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to cricket and mathematics in 2010.
ICC condoles death of DLS method co-founder Tony Lewis
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday condoled the death of mathematician Tony Lewis, who co-developed the Duckworth-Lewis system of calculating target scores in weather-affected limited-overs matches.
Lewis died on Wednesday. He was 78.
"Tony's contribution to cricket is huge. The present-day system of resetting targets in international cricket is based on the one developed by him and Frank (Duckworth) more than two decades ago," said Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket.
"His contribution to the game of cricket will be remembered for years to come and we send our condolences to his family and friends."
