Is it possible to score a boundary 6 of an overthrow?
Reference at the time of writing this article: MCC’s The Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code (3rd Edition–2022). ICC Playing Conditions as of 2022 for both Men’s and Women’s.
We don’t see or experience the situation of scoring a boundary 6 of an overthrow very often. Just because it is not witnessed regularly, it cannot be assumed that such a situation doesn’t exist, nor can a wrong judgment be made of a situation that points strongly towards recording the incident as a boundary 6 of an overthrow. The key to this answer is to recognize the conditions for a boundary 6, and more critically to recognize the act of an overthrow.
First and foremost, let us be clear that scoring a boundary 6 of an overthrow is possible.
Before building up the situations for an overthrow, let us first keep our understanding clear about ‘boundary 6’. Boundary 6 is scored only after the ball delivered (irrespective of whether it is a no ball or not) is struck by the striker’s bat, touches the boundary markings in full, or lands beyond the boundary without having been grounded within the boundary any time before. In this process, the ball coming in contact with the fielder who is grounded within the boundary is irrelevant. The ball can deflect off the fielder or it can be carried outside by the fielder. So, the journey started by the ball after being struck ends as a boundary without touching the ground within.
Now, let us focus on the act of overthrow. Fielder throwing the ball or slipping of ball while attempting to throw remains a ‘throw’ as long as the ball is within the field of play. Only if the act of throwing takes the ball beyond the boundary, it is treated as an ‘overthrow’.
In the next section, let us start identifying the acts that can be classified as overthrow and let us build the boundary situations under that.
Situations as per the MCC laws of cricket and ICC’s test match playing conditions.
- The ball struck by the striker is caught by the fielder in the deep. While celebrating the fielder throws the ball up in the air which lands beyond the boundary. The fielder who caught the ball fails to notice that the umpire has called it a ‘no ball’.
Now, in this entire sequence, the ball after being struck by the striker has not grounded within the boundary any time before landing beyond the boundary. Because of a ‘no ball’ call, the ball is still considered to be in play even after being caught, and it becomes dead only after it is grounded beyond the boundary. The action of throwing the ball in celebration is considered an overthrow.
- The ball delivered by the bowler which is called a no ball is struck by the striker and is caught by the fielder in the deep. The fielder who is aware of the call immediately tries to throw it back. In the act of throwing, the ball slips out of the fielder’s hand and lands beyond the boundary.
Here too, the ball after being struck by the striker has not been grounded within the boundary any time before landing beyond the boundary. The call of a ‘no ball’ has kept the ball still in play even after it is caught and became dead only after landing beyond the boundary. The action of the ball slipping out of the hand while trying to throw is considered an overthrow.
- The ball delivered (irrespective of whether the ball is a no ball or not) is struck by the striker, and is caught by the fielder in the deep, who is not in control of the movement which makes the catch still incomplete. The fielder throws the ball to a nearby fielder or inside the field of play while losing balance. But, the ball grounds beyond the boundary.
Even in this entire sequence, the ball after being struck by the striker has not grounded within the boundary any time before landing beyond the boundary. Since the catch is still not complete as the fielder is yet to gain control over the movement as well, the ball is still considered to be in play, and it becomes dead only after it is grounded beyond the boundary. The action of passing the ball is considered an overthrow.
Situations as per the ICC’s limited over (ODIs and T20Is) playing conditions.
All the above-mentioned situations are treated as a boundary 6 of an overthrow even in ICC’s limited over playing conditions. However, as per the limited over format playing conditions this can occur in another way as well.
These playing conditions also have a concept of a ‘Free-Hit’. Similar to a ‘no ball’ delivery, a striker cannot be out-caught of a free-hit delivery. If the above-mentioned situation occurs of a free-hit delivery, it is still considered as boundary 6 of an overthrow.
For a boundary 6 of an overthrow, the mere condition of the fielder throwing the ball directly beyond the boundary does not suffice, but the ball not being grounded within the boundary any time before is equally critical too. By critically recognizing the acts which qualify as an overthrow and also the few situations mentioned as examples, we can very well say that boundary 6 of an overthrow is possible, provided the actions are recognized and classified accurately.