ICC World Cup 2019: It Was A Clear Mistake - Simon Taufel On Six Overthrows

One of the best umpires to have embraced the game, Simon Taufel has stated that it was a clear mistake on part of Kumar Dharmasena. The umpire gave a signal of six overthrows after the ball ricocheted off the bat of Ben Stokes. As per the rule of ICC, those overthrows should have been five runs.

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Ben Stokes had not completed the second run when he made a diving effort to get back into the crease. Stokes’ had not landed his bat inside his crease when the ball made the contact with the bat before the second run was completed. Hence, Stokes had only completed one run and four overthrows were given for a boundary. Subsequently, five runs should have been given instead of six by the umpire.

England had the rub of the green.

New Zealand didn’t have the rub of the green as Martin Guptill had thrown from the deep mid wicket region when Ben Stokes scampered back for the second.

Simon Taufel said, “They (England) should have been awarded five runs, not six.”

“It’s a clear mistake … it’s an error of judgment,” Taufel told foxsports.com.au on Monday.

The rule is as follows.

Rule 19.8: Overthrow or wilful act of a fielder

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.

England had the rub of the green on their side as they were adjudged winners on the basis of more boundaries. The hosts had struck 26 boundaries in their innings whereas New Zealand managed only 17 boundaries in their innings.

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Ben Stokes played a fine knock of 84 runs off 98 balls and he was able to keep England in the contest. Stokes scored five runs and two sixes in his knock.