Summary
If a fielder's throw hits the stumps and deflects away, the batting side can score additional runs. The 2019 WC Final exposed confusion about how to count runs when an overthrow goes to the boundary.
Full Explanation
Overthrows occur when a fielder's throw at the stumps misses (or deflects) and the ball travels further, allowing the batsmen to score additional runs.
If an overthrow reaches the boundary, the batting side gets 4 runs plus any runs completed before the throw. The critical question is: at what point do you count the completed runs?
Law 19.8 states that if the fielders' throw deflects to the boundary, the runs scored are the boundary allowance (4) plus the number of runs completed at the instant the throw was released. Not at the instant the ball crosses the boundary.
This rule was at the center of the 2019 World Cup Final controversy. Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid were running when Martin Guptill's throw deflected off Stokes' bat to the boundary. The umpires awarded 6 runs (2 completed + 4 boundary), but former umpire Simon Taufel said it should have been 5 (1 completed + 4) because the batsmen hadn't crossed for their second run when the throw was released.
Key Points
- •Runs = boundary allowance + runs completed at the instant of the throw
- •Deflections off batsman to the boundary count as overthrows
- •Crucial distinction: runs completed when throw is released, not when ball reaches boundary
- •Law 19.8 governs this scenario
Notable Controversies
- •2019 WC Final — umpires awarded 6 runs instead of 5, potentially costing NZ the World Cup
- •Simon Taufel confirmed the umpires made an error
- •ICC acknowledged the mistake but did not change the result
Related Rules
Super Over (Tie-Breaker)
When a limited-overs match is tied, a Super Over of 6 balls per side is used to determine the winner. If the Super Over is also tied, subsequent Super Overs are played.
Boundary Count Rule (Scrapped)
If a World Cup knockout match and its Super Over both ended in a tie, the team with more boundaries in the match won. Used once — in the 2019 WC Final — then immediately scrapped.