Photo via Hindustan Times

A six off a wide ball? Bouncer beats keeper and flies over ropes, but only five runs awarded: MCC law explained

A bizarre twist in the Canada Super60 semi-final saw Toronto Sixers awarded just five runs after a bouncer from Pakistan-born US bowler Ali Khan sailed over the boundary rope without touching the bat. The delivery, bowled on the third ball of the ninth over, flew past wicketkeeper and batter Kieron Pollard before landing beyond the ropes.

Despite the ball clearing the boundary, the umpire ruled it a wide and awarded four runs—one less than the usual six—since Pollard never made contact with the ball. Under cricket’s laws, a six requires the ball to be struck by the bat, leaving Toronto with five runs total (four for the boundary plus one for the wide).

The unusual call sparked debate, as the ball’s trajectory would have resulted in a six had Pollard even slightly connected with it. Meanwhile, Khan struggled in his two overs, conceding 43 runs while taking two wickets, as Toronto’s aggressive batting—led by Pollard’s explosive 40 off 16 balls—pushed their total to 130/4 in 10 overs.

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