Did World Cup final umpires get crucial overthrow ruling wrong?

Ben Stokes accidentally diverted Martin Guptill’s throw to the third man boundary as he attempted to scamper back for a second run in the last of England’s initial 50 overs at Lord’s, with the umpires awarding six runs as a result

England should only have been awarded five overthrows and not six in a dramatic and controversial moment towards the end of the World Cup final, according to an interpretation of the Laws of the game.

Ben Stokes accidentally diverted Martin Guptill’s throw to the third man boundary as he attempted to scamper back for a second run in the last of England’s initial 50 overs at Lord’s, with the umpires awarding six runs as a result.

The host nation ended up tying the game before emerging victorious on a boundary countback following another tie in a super over.

According to Law 19.8, relating to “overthrow or wilful act of fielder”, the batsman must have crossed prior to Guptill’s throw being released for two initial runs to be added to the four overthrows.

Video replays show that Stokes and his batting partner at the time, Adil Rashid, had not crossed at the moment the New Zealand fielder let go of the ball.

That would mean both that England should only have been awarded five runs by onfield umpires Marais Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena, and that Ben Stokes would not have been on strike for the next delivery.

^{The ball deflected off Ben Stokes' bat as he dived for the crease}

The Law states: “If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the willful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be:

- any runs for penalties awarded to either side

- and the allowance for the boundary

- and the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the throw or act.”

Former leading umpire Simon Taufel told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald: "There was a judgment error on the overthrow.

"The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball. That's the act.

"It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw.

"They did not cross on their second run, at the instant of the throw. So given that scenario, five runs should have been the correct allocation of runs, and Ben Stokes should have been at the non-striker's end for the next delivery."

The ICC have yet to comment on the matter, while The Cricketer has requested comment from MCC.

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