On the first day of the India-England Test match in Hyderabad, a bewildering thing occurred. Rehan Ahmed of England scored two runs in the midst of a fielder’s overthrow, leaving the hitter with five runs instead of six. Confusion was generated by this among onlookers in the stadium and on social media. But following the rules set down by the International Cricket Council (ICC) made it clear that the ruling was correct.
Jasprit Bumrah’s full throw was expertly flicked off by Rehan Ahmed, who took it squarely behind the leg side. Rehan was awarded six runs at first, but the jubilation quickly gave way to confusion when the fielder’s wayward throw beat the backup fielder and soared to the boundary. But the umpire’s call took a surprising turn, bringing the score down to five runs.
This incident reminded me of a similar occurrence that happened during the England vs. New Zealand 2019 ODI World Cup final.
The umpire cited MCC rule 19.8, stating that only five runs should have been given because neither batter had passed the other before the throw left the fielder’s grasp. England was awarded six runs even though the batsmen failed to cross. The cricketing world is currently considering the applicability and consistency of this interesting rule, including Rehan’s situation.
What is said in MCC rule 19.8?
MCC rule 19.8 states that runs are granted in the event that a boundary is the consequence of an overthrow or a fielder’s deliberate action. These runs include the boundary allowance, penalties for both sides, and the runs that the batters have completed. If the batters had crossed at the time of the throw or act, this would have included the run-in progress. The rule attempts to give fairness and clarity when calculating the runs scored in these kinds of situations during a cricket match.
During the event on Day 1 of the first Test of the series, renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle clarified the situation live on television. He used the occasion to refresh the mind of former England captain Eoin Morgan by pointing out the differences between the Hyderabad situation now and the 2019 ODI World Cup.
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