A bowler can bowl six legal balls at a time in cricket. The completion of six legal balls is called an over. Once an over is complete, he or she is replaced by another bowler, who bowls from the other end of the pitch.
Up until 1889, bowlers could change ends by bowling two consecutive overs. However, no bowler was allowed to bowl more than two consecutive overs. Two rare oversights occurred in 1921 and 1951. In 1921, a test match between Australia and England saw the English team declare their innings on 341/4. The last over was bowled by Australia’s Warwick Armstrong. However, since only 100 minutes of the day’s play was left, it was against the laws to declare the innings. This was noted by the Australia’s wicketkeeper Sammy Carter who informed his skipper regarding the law. When play resumed, Armstrong, who remained put during the conversations bowled the first over as play resumed. This led to him bowling two consecutive overs. The 1951 incident saw Alex Moir of New Zealand bowl two consecutive overs. Moir bowled the last over before tea and the first after the tea break.
In the laws of cricket, the 17th law describes The Over. In its sixth sub-section, it is stated that one bowler cannot bowl two consecutive overs. If a bowler wants to change ends, he or she can do so, provided the player does not bowl two consecutive overs. In such a scenario, the captain will have to rope in two other bowlers for the next two overs who can bowl ‘filler’ overs such that the bowler who wants to change ends can get the desired end.
Thus, bowling two consecutive overs by the same bowler in modern day cricket is not allowed.
