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England director Giles laughs off umpiring controversy

'Clear mistake' dismissed as World Cup hosts continue to bask in their first-ever tournament triumph

England's director of cricket Ashley Giles has played down claims England benefited from a "clear mistake" as they clinched World Cup glory, insisting Ben Stokes would probably have won the game anyway.

Giles laughed off the suggestion from former international umpire Simon Taufel that the winners should only have been awarded five runs, not six, after the ball ricocheted off Stokes' bat and crossed the boundary as he dived to make his ground during a dramatic run chase.

Such a scenario would have left the eventual winners with four runs to win from the final two balls, and new batsman Adil Rashid on strike.

"Well, you can look at so many moments during the day. If that had been the case, Stokesy got a full toss last ball, he'd probably have smashed it out of the park rather than try to nurdle two," Giles told Sky Sports.

"If you look over there, we've got the trophy and I think you'll find it very difficult to get it out of their hands."

Stokes, Boult at centre of match-defining sequence

The hosts triumphed in the competition for the first time after beating New Zealand following a super over at Lord's on Sunday.

England matched the Kiwis' score of 241 from the final delivery, and were handed the trophy over New Zealand on a boundary countback.

England scored six from the third-last ball when a throw from Martin Guptill rebounded off the diving Stokes' bat to the boundary.

It since emerged that under Law 19.8, extra runs are only awarded if the batsmen have crossed when the ball is thrown, which was not the case on Sunday.

A former five-time ICC umpire of the year and member of the MCC laws sub-committee, Taufel said the on-field officials got it wrong.

"It's a clear mistake ... it's an error of judgment," he told Fox Sports.

The ICC said they would not be drawn into the issue.

"The umpires take decisions on the field with their interpretation of the rules and we don't comment on any decisions as a matter of policy," a spokesperson said.