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Simon Taufel who is a former international umpire and member of the committee has admitted that awarding England six runs by virtue of an over throw in the final over was his a clear mistake. When England needed nine runs off three deliveries when a throw from Martin Guptill accidentally hit Ben Stokes’ bat and he was completing his second run, and ran away for four.
At that time, he awarded the batting team six runs, instead of five. According to Taufel, a member of the MCC laws sub-committee, it was a mistake. This mistake made on the path to England winning its first World Cup. It not only awarded England an extra run but kept Stokes on strike for the final two deliveries.
Australian Taufel who is a five-time winner of the ICC’s Umpire of the Year award also claims that the umpires made an ‘error in judgement’ while applying the MCC laws. Taufel is viewed as one of the greatest umpires this century and he said, “They (England) should have been awarded five runs, not six.”
“It’s a clear mistake. It’s an error of judgment,” Taufel told on Monday.
The relevant clause from the MCC rulebook:
Rule 19.8: Overthrow or willful act of fielder
If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the willful 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.
However, “In the heat of what was going on, they thought there was a good chance the batsmen had crossed at the instant of the throw” Taufel added by saying that “Obviously TV replays showed otherwise.”
According to Taufel’s interpretation, England would have needed four of the last two balls and Adil Rashid would have been on strike.
“The difficulty you (umpires) have here is you’ve got to watch batsmen completing runs, then change focus and watch for the ball being picked up, and watch for the release (of the throw),” he said.
“You also have to watch where the batsmen are at that exact moment.”
“It’s unfair on England, New Zealand and the umpires involved to say it decided the outcome,” Taufel further told.
New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson supported his thought also. “It was a shame that the ball hit Stokes’ bat, but I just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that,” Williamson said.
“Unfortunately that sort of thing happens from time to time. It’s a part of the game that we play.”
“I don’t wish to nitpick, just hope it never happens in such moments ever again,” he added.
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