England cricket club under fire after ‘Clicky Ponting’ cheating claims go viral

Finger clicking sparked cheating scandal (Image: BBC/X) An amateur cricket match in England has found itself at the center of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to trick the umpire into calling the batting. The incident, which went viral on social media and is now being called “Clickgate” or “Clicky Ponting”, occurred during a North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Division Two Cricket League match between Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI and Norton Cricket Club.

What happened?

Controversy surrounds the dismissal involving Norton firing Noman Shabir. When the bowler delivered the ball, it went just past Shabir’s bat without appearing to touch. Just then a Saltburn man at first slip snapped his fingers and made a sharp sound very much like the sound of a ball going round a bat. The keeper caught the ball cleanly, the Saltburn players immediately appealed and the referee, thinking he had heard an edge, blew the shot.Shabir protested the decision, insisting he did not touch the ball, but the umpire stood by his verdict. Video of the incident quickly went viral on social media, with many viewers claiming that the finger click had deliberately fooled the referee.Saltburn won by 159 runs and lead Division 2 by 18 points.

More allegations are emerging

Controversy did not end with the viral video. After the incident, cricket fans started analyzing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that caught the eye was keeper Josh Bowes’ 31 catches in just eight matches, including eight in one innings against Shildon Railway.By comparison, the world record for catches by a wicketkeeper in a men’s Test innings is seven, making the figure unusual enough to fuel further speculation, even if the statistic itself is not evidence of wrongdoing.Soon after, Rory Cotterill, captain of the Middlesbrough Second XI, publicly stated that his team had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during the defeat to Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a separate match against Wolviston FC has also surfaced online showing the batsman being dismissed in similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.

The league is opening an investigation

The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League confirmed they had received a formal complaint and had launched an investigation.In a statement, the league said: “The league has received a formal complaint regarding the alleged incidents in Saturday’s Division 2 match. A full investigation has been launched and we will not be commenting on it until the formal processes have been completed.”The unusual event attracted worldwide attention. The original video was viewed more than five million times on X (formerly Twitter) as cricket fans around the world debated whether the dismissal should stand.Former newspaper editor and TV presenter Piers Morgan also responded, describing the player in question as “the biggest cheater in the history of cricket”, a comment which further fueled the controversy online.