Overthrows in Cricket: Rules, Records, and the 2019 World Cup Controversy
Everything you need to know about overthrows in cricket — how they are scored, when six overthrows can be awarded, and the controversial 2019 World Cup final overthrows incident.
Overthrows occur when a fielder's throw to the wicket misses its target and the ball continues toward or over the boundary, allowing batters to run additional runs. They are among the most dramatic and sometimes controversial moments in cricket, made famous globally by the 2019 World Cup final.
How Overthrows Are Scored
When a fielder throws the ball and it deflects off a wicket, bat, batter, or runs untouched past fielders, the batting team can run further runs. These additional runs are called overthrows. If the ball reaches the boundary (4 runs) or passes over it (6 runs after bouncing), boundary runs are awarded in addition to any runs already completed by the batters at the time the fielder released the throw.
The Law: When Do You Count Completed Runs?
Law 19.8 governs overthrows. The key question is: how many runs do batters add to the boundary or overthrow value? The answer depends on how many runs were completed before the fielder released the ball. If one run was completed before the throw, and the ball goes to the boundary for four, the total is five (1 completed + 4 boundary). This detail was at the heart of the 2019 World Cup controversy.
The 2019 World Cup Final Controversy
The 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's produced the most controversial overthrow incident in cricket history. In the 49th over, with England needing 24 off 3 overs, Ben Stokes played a shot toward mid-wicket. The ball deflected off Stokes's outstretched bat as he dived and ran toward the boundary for an additional four runs — giving England six total (2 runs run + 4 boundary). New Zealand fielder Trent Boult threw to the striker's end, the ball hit Stokes's bat and ran away for four.
The controversy: the umpires awarded England 6 runs (2 completed + 4 boundary). However, under Law 19.8, only 1 run should have been completed at the moment of the throw (both batters had not yet crossed), meaning England should have received 5 runs (1 + 4). The ICC confirmed after the match that the umpires had made an error. Had England received only 5 runs, the match result and Super Over outcome may have differed. The incident prompted the ICC to clarify how Law 19.8 should be applied.
ICC Law Changes After 2019
Following the 2019 final controversy, the ICC worked with the MCC (which writes the Laws) to ensure more consistent application of Law 19.8 in future. The principle remained unchanged: runs completed (both batters having crossed) at the moment of the fielder's release determines the base, to which any boundary overthrow value is added.
Frequently asked questions
What is an overthrow in cricket?
An overthrow occurs when a fielder's throw misses the wicket or target and the ball continues, allowing batters to run additional runs. If the ball reaches the boundary, boundary runs are also awarded.
What happened with overthrows in the 2019 World Cup final?
In the 2019 final, England were awarded 6 runs from an overthrow — 2 completed runs plus 4 boundary. However, the ICC confirmed after the match that only 1 run should have been counted as completed at the moment of the throw, meaning England should have received only 5 runs.
How are overthrow boundaries counted?
Under Law 19.8, you add the number of runs completed (both batters having crossed) at the moment of the fielder's throw to the boundary value (4 or 6). If 1 run was completed and the ball reaches the boundary, it's 1 + 4 = 5 total runs.