The Duckworth Lewis Method came into being as a one-off collaboration between Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon and Pugwash leader Thomas Walsh, yielding the only known concept album devoted entirely to cricket. The pair adopted their name from the intricate cricket scoring formula and first convened in 2008 at the Irish wedding of Father Ted creator Graham Linehan. After Walsh invited Hannon to appear on a seasonal charity compilation, the two realized they shared passions for both ELO and the sport, prompting them to fuse those interests into a joint recording project. Issued on Hannon’s own imprint just forty-eight hours ahead of the 2009 Ashes series, their self-titled debut climbed to number 40 on the U.K. album chart. Comedians Phil Jupitus, Matt Berry, and Alexander Armstrong all contributed to the record, which earned Best Album nominations at the Ivor Novello Awards and the Meteor Awards. The duo also supplied a fresh Irish national anthem for The Irish Times’ St. Patrick’s Day campaign and performed at both the Latitude and Meltdown festivals before resuming work with their primary bands. Late in 2012, Walsh and Hannon confirmed plans to reconvene for a follow-up album the next year. Timed to coincide with the U.K.-hosted Ashes series, Sticky Wickets appeared in July 2013 and again enlisted an array of guests, among them actor Daniel Radcliffe, comedian Stephen Fry, and former England cricketer turned commentator David Lloyd.
