England were the beneficiaries of a “clear mistake” when they were awarded a vital extra run as they won the World Cup, according to former leading umpire Simon Taufel.

The final between the tournament hosts and New Zealand was decided by the number of boundaries scored, following a tied match and tied Super Over.

But in the final over of England’s chase of 242, Ben Stokes was awarded six runs by the umpires when Martin Guptill’s throw from the deep inadvertently deflected off his bat and crossed the boundary rope. Stokes was completing the second run when the ball hit his bat.

Umpire Kumar Dharmasena signalled to the scorebox to add six runs to the total, which left England needing three runs from two balls.

They managed one run from each of the final two balls — with run-outs occurring each time — which left the scores level and set up the Super Over.

But according to the laws of the game, Dharmasena should have awarded just five runs. Because the batsmen had not crossed for their second run when Guptill threw the ball, only the first stood.

Law 19.8, regarding an “overthrow or wilful act of fielder”, states: “If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the wilful 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.”

While Marylebone Cricket Club — proprietors of Lord’s and the guardians of the laws of the game — remained tightlipped on the issue, Taufel, the five-time umpire of the year and a member of the MCC Laws sub-committee, was clear the extra run should not have been awarded.

“They [England] should have been awarded five runs, not six,” the Australian told Fox Sports. “It’s a clear mistake... it’s an error of judgment.”

Had the laws been correctly implemented, Adil Rashid — not Stokes, whose unbeaten 84 kept England in the game — would have been on strike for the penultimate ball of the match with four required.

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“It’s unfair on England, New Zealand and the umpires to say it decided the outcome,” said Taufel.

England skipper Eoin Morgan said: “I wasn’t sure what happened because he [Stokes] dived and there was dust everywhere and the ball deflected through. I was trying to figure out, did he hit it, did the keeper hit it?

“I was trying to stay in the moment. I wasn’t celebrating, it is not something you celebrate.”