Confusion with overthrows

"Like a lot of players, I often umpire for a short spell while our side is batting. Last season I got very confused with overthrows. The batsman hit the ball and ran. He completed the first run, and had crossed with his partner on the second, when the ball was hurled in to the 'keeper, who missed it. By the time it went over the boundary, the batsmen had completed their third run. I thought all this should total seven runs. Was I right?"

No. The correct answer here is six runs. In this situation, the overthrows are calculated from the moment the fielder throws the ball, not the moment it crosses the boundary. At the instant of the throw, having crossed on their second run, they score two. Add four for the overthrow to the boundary - total six.


Read more about Law 18 (Scoring runs) and Law 19 (Boundaries) at the MCC website