cricket

Updated: Jul 19, 2019 23:43 IST

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of cricket laws, is considering amending the overthrow rule after the controversial end to the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand on Sunday, The Times, London reported on Friday. “There is a feeling at MCC that overthrows are worth looking at when it next reviews the laws of the game, which is the responsibility of the MCC Laws sub-committee,” said the report.

MCC’s attention has been drawn to the overthrows rule after New Zealand were left to rue a deflection that went for four off the penultimate delivery in England’s chase, which forced a tie.

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The Super Over also ended in a tie and the hosts won the trophy having scored more boundaries than New Zealand.

England had needed nine runs from the final three balls in their chase when a throw by Martin Guptill deflected off the diving Ben Stokes’ bat and raced to the boundary.

England were awarded six runs by the umpire, two run by the batsmen and four for the overthrow.

Five runs not six

However, former ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel of Australia later pointed out that England should have been awarded five runs as per the overthrow rules as the batsmen hadn’t crossed when Guptill threw the ball.

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Law 19.8, which deals with “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.”

Man-of-the-Match Stokes immediately apologised after the ball raced for four off his bat, though New Zealand were left dismayed, especially at the controversial boundaries rule to decide the winner.