Marais Erasmus opens up on 2019 World Cup final umpiring error

South Africa-based umpire Marais Erasmus, one of the on-field umpires of the 2019 World Cup final, has finally opened up about the error made by the officials in the thrilling summit clash between England and New Zealand.

Hosts England won their maiden World title on boundary count as the Super Over that followed the tied 50-over contest, concluded with both teams equal on runs.

However, if not for a bizarre moment that occurred in the 50th over of England’s run chase— Martin Guptill’s overthrow deflected off diving Ben Stokes’ bat and onto the boundary — the outcome would have been different.

England, needing 15 off the final over, played out two dot balls before Stokes guided Trent Boult’s slower delivery towards the deep mid-wicket where Guptill was patrolling the fence.

Guptill’s throw deflected off Stokes’ bat and made it to the boundary and England were awarded six runs – two for running and four overthrows.

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Law 19.8 in the MCC rulebook says: “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.”

Meanwhile, Marais Erasmus acknowledged that the on-field umpires made an error during that moment and that England should have been awarded five runs instead of six as the batters did not cross at the moment Guptill threw the ball.

“The next morning I opened my hotel room door on my way to breakfast and Kumar opened his door at the same time and he said, ‘Did you see we made a massive error?’ That’s when I got to know about it. But in the moment on the field, we just said six, you know, communicated to each other, ‘six, six, it’s six’ not realising that they haven’t crossed, it wasn’t picked up. That’s it.”

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