In cricket, can a bowler bowl two consecutive overs?

The short answer is no. Law 17.6 of the Laws of Cricket, laid down by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) states, “A bowler shall be allowed to change ends as often as desired, provided he/she does not bowl two overs consecutively, nor bowl parts of each of two consecutive overs, in the same innings.” In other words, a bowler cannot, legally, cannot complete one over from one end and immediately start another from the other end.

Nevertheless, the nuances of cricket, or, more specifically, the Follow-on Law, in this case, mean that it is possible to bowl two consecutive overs, albeit in two different innings. In a two-innings, five-day match, if the side batting first leads by 200 or more runs the team batting second can be invited to bat again, immediately, rather than taking alternate innings as is customary.

That was, in fact, the case on the morning of August 15, 1982, the fourth day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s, London. In their first innings, Pakistan scored 428 for 8 declared and, when Pakistani captain Imran Khan trapped Robin Jackman lbw for a duck off the last ball of the first over, England were reduced to 227 all out, 201 runs behind. Khan took up the option to make England bat again and, when play resumed, bowled the first over of the second innings, thereby bowling two consecutive overs in the same match. For the record, England fared little better in the second innings, being dismissed for 276; Mohsin Khan and Javed Miandad needed just 13.1 overs to score the 77 runs required for victory on the final day, giving Pakistan victory by 10 wickets.