So here’s the Cricinfo commentary while the Australia-India match was being washed out by rain:

18.30 Tony Lewis, of Duckworth and Lewis, has emailed giving us the correct permutation. A newer version of the software was implemented for this tournament, which Tony has. Per the new WinCODA2 software being used by Tony and the scorers in South Africa, India’s target will be 266 in 42 overs, and 166 for 20 overs. Thanks for that Tony. Appreciated. And no, this system apparently does not take into consideration Powerplays.

It is amazing (incredible, astonishing, STUPID) that the rules for determining the outcome of a match are hidden inside proprietary software that even the No. 1 cricket website in the world doesn’t possess. It is even worse that no one, outside the makers of that proprietary software, can explain what those rules are.

So release the application source code already. Maybe Duckworth and Lewis can sign a contract with the ICC for being the sole vendors for the software, and they can license the technology to resellers who can service the local tournaments. That way, they don’t lose out when open-sourcing the software.

By releasing the code, every cricket enthusiast can look at the rules and suggest improvements that can be rolled back into the main product. Not to mention bugs that can be fixed.