The 2019 final one which England won for the first time in the 50-over format, came with quite a bit of controversy. Ben Stokes tried to snatch the second run in the final over, and Martin Guptill’s throw hit diving Stokes’ bat and ran away for a boundary. The umpire awarded England six runs, but later it was clarified that the second run should not have been counted as the throw was completed before both batters crossed each other, and England should have been only awarded five runs. England managed to tie the game in the 50 overs and later went on to win the final on boundary count.
“It was a shame that the ball hit Stokes’ bat, but I just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that. 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,” Kane Williamson said after losing the final at Lord’s in 2019.
Recalling the incident, Williamson, speaking on Star Sports, reflected on the same again. “I mean, it went to the boundary, and then the rule is the rule. So, you accept that. Stokes put his hands up and wasn’t obviously going to run, but it raced off as he accidentally deflected it.”
“Yeah, there you go, so we won it. It’s a good feeling. It was quite remarkable to hear that afterwards and for the umpires to get that wrong. But, in the moment, you went just trying to control what you could control. That was one of those unfortunate things. Remarkable when you see it – Stokes is not even looking,” he added.
“It was a quiet dressing room as you could imagine. There was a lot of disappointment. Obviously, tying there and then the Super Over we tied. So then, it was the boundary count, which unless you read the old manual, if anybody knew that was a rule really [sic]. Trying to make sense of that was the toughest part,” said Williamson recalling the final.
