Overthrow Boundaries: Why the 2019 World Cup Final Sparked a Law Change
The rules governing overthrows when a fielder's throw reaches the boundary — how overthrow runs are counted, the 2019 World Cup Final Ben Stokes incident and its aftermath, Law 19.8's amendment in 2022 requiring completed runs to count only if both batters have crossed before the throw, and why the Law change was controversial.
How Overthrow Boundaries Work
When a fielder attempts a run-out by throwing at the stumps and the ball deflects off a bat, the stumps, or runs past all fielders to reach the boundary, the batting team receives overthrow boundary runs. The total is: all runs completed between wickets before the ball reaches the boundary (including any partial run in progress when the throw is made) plus the four-boundary runs. For example: batters have completed 2 runs and are mid-pitch on a third run when the throw deflects to the boundary — they receive 2 + 1 (partial) + 4 = 7 runs (or 6 if the partial run is not credited depending on the crossing point).
Pre-2022 Law 19.8 counted 'runs completed plus partial run if the throw is made while the batters have crossed' — meaning: if the throw is released after both batters have passed each other (i.e., they have crossed the halfway mark between wickets), the partial run was credited. This is the mechanism that generated the controversial 2019 World Cup Final incident: Ben Stokes attempted a run to the boundary, dived, and the throw from the outfield deflected off Stokes's bat to the boundary. At the moment of the original throw, Stokes and Adil Rashid had crossed — meaning 1 completed run + 1 partial run + 4 overthrow = 6 runs were awarded.
The 2019 World Cup Final Controversy
In the Super Over that followed England's 2019 World Cup Final tie with New Zealand, England had won on boundary count — and the 6 overthrow runs in the final over had been critical to England tying the match. New Zealand's players and many analysts argued that the application of Law 19.8 at the time was incorrect: the ball had deflected off Stokes's bat (who had dived and was lying horizontal), making it ambiguous whether this should be categorised as an overthrow at all, and whether the umpires correctly assessed the crossing point of the batters.
The ICC's Umpire Review Committee subsequently examined the incident and concluded the umpires had applied the law as written, even if the outcome felt unjust. The committee recommended a Law amendment to the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the Laws of Cricket). In the 2022 Laws update, Law 19.8 was amended: the overthrow boundary runs are now awarded based only on runs completed before the throw — both batters must have crossed for the partial run to count, not merely crossed at the time of throwing. This change is specifically designed to avoid repeating the Stokes scenario.
The 2022 Amendment in Practice
Under post-2022 Law 19.8: if batters have NOT yet crossed at the moment the fielder's throw is released, only fully completed runs count toward the overthrow total (not the partial run in progress). If batters HAVE crossed when the throw is released, the partial run counts as before. The amendment reduces the overthrow run count in the specific case where the throw is released very early in the run — penalising the throwing fielder for releasing the throw when the batters had not yet committed to crossing. In practice, most fielding throws are released after the batters have crossed mid-pitch, so the law change affects a narrow category of scenarios.
Frequently asked questions
Can the batting team receive more than 6 runs from a single delivery with overthrows?
Yes, theoretically — though it would be very unusual in match conditions. If batters had completed 3 runs between wickets before an overthrow reached the boundary, the total would be 3 + 4 = 7 runs from the delivery (plus any no-ball or wide extras that might apply). In exceptional circumstances (multiple overthrows, or an overthrow situation where the second misfield also results in a boundary), the delivery score could be higher. The highest theoretical count from a single delivery under Laws is unlimited — each successive overthrow can accrue additional runs.
Who decides if the batters had crossed when the throw was made?
The on-field umpires — specifically the square-leg umpire who has a direct line of sight to the batters at the non-striker's end during a run. The square-leg umpire's assessment of the batters' position at the moment the fielder's throw is released determines whether the partial run counts. This judgment call is not reviewable by DRS (there is no third-umpire protocol for overthrow counting). In close cases, umpires confer before signalling the final run count to scorers.
Does the overthrow boundary rule apply in T20 cricket differently than in Tests?
No — Law 19.8 applies identically across all formats. The same crossing-at-throw-moment requirement applies in T20 internationals, Tests, and ODIs. The frequency of the scenario may differ by format (T20 has more aggressive direct-hit throwing attempts and more mid-pitch traffic), but the rule itself is uniform. Playing conditions for specific leagues occasionally add local rules, but overthrow boundary counting is not typically modified in franchise T20 playing conditions.