An amateur cricket match in England has found itself at the centre of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to fool the umpire into giving a batter out. The incident, which has gone viral on social media and is now being called “Clickgate” or “Clicky Ponting”, occurred during a North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Cricket League Division Two match between Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI and Norton Cricket Club.
What happened?
The controversy revolves around a dismissal involving Norton batter Noman Shabir. As the bowler delivered the ball, it passed close to Shabir’s bat without appearing to make contact. At that exact moment, a Saltburn fielder stationed at first slip clicked his fingers, creating a sharp sound that closely resembled the noise of the ball edging the bat. The wicketkeeper caught the ball cleanly, Saltburn’s players immediately appealed, and the umpire, believing he had heard an edge, gave the batter out.Shabir protested the decision, insisting he had not touched the ball, but the umpire stood by his verdict. A video of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many viewers claiming the finger click had deliberately deceived the umpire.Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 18 points.
More allegations surface
The controversy did not stop with the viral video. Following the incident, cricket fans began analysing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that attracted attention was wicketkeeper Josh Bowes’ tally of 31 catches in just eight matches, including eight catches in a single innings against Shildon Railway.For 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, although the statistic alone is not evidence of wrongdoing.Soon after, Rory Cotterill, captain of Middlesbrough Second XI, publicly claimed his side had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during a defeat to Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a separate match against Wolviston FC has also emerged online, showing a batter being dismissed under similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.
League launches investigation
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League confirmed it has received a formal complaint and has opened an investigation.In a statement, the league said: “The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday. A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”The unusual incident has attracted worldwide attention. The original video has been viewed more than five million times on X (formerly Twitter), while cricket fans from around the world have debated whether the dismissal should stand.Former newspaper editor and television presenter Piers Morgan also reacted, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history”, a comment that further amplified the controversy online.
