No. If an ordinary interval interrupts an over while the same innings is still continuing, play resumes with that over unfinished. The completed valid balls remain on the record. Establish the count before the break and whether the same innings resumes before deciding how many remain.
What happens after the interval?
A standard over contains six valid balls. An interval pauses the match, but it does not normally erase the valid balls already completed. On resumption, the umpires continue the interrupted over rather than beginning a fresh six-ball over. This is the position described in MCC Law 17 on the over.
Hypothetical example: three balls completed
Assume the same innings is in progress and the interval begins after the third valid ball:
| Stage | Valid balls in this over | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Before interval | 1, 2, 3 | Three completed |
| Interval | — | Play paused |
| After resumption | 4, 5, 6 | Three remain |
The calculation is six valid balls in the over minus three already completed, leaving three valid balls. The next valid ball is therefore ball four of that over, not ball one of a replacement over.
As an arithmetic check, incorrectly starting six more valid balls would make 3 + 6 = 9 in the same over. Keeping the earlier entries and adding the three remaining balls instead gives 3 + 3 = 6. A working record should retain the innings identifier and the pre-interval count so that a resumed sequence is not confused with a new innings.
When does this treatment not carry over?
If the innings ends during the interval, the unfinished balls are not transferred into the next innings. The next innings begins with its own overs and ball sequence. Thus, the practical rule is limited to an interrupted over that resumes in the same innings.
This explanation covers the ordinary interval situation under the cited MCC law. A competition’s playing conditions may specify different arrangements, so the relevant competition regulations remain the controlling limit.