The ball is bowled, the batter plays a shot and the wicketkeeper pouches the catch. Cheers erupt, but the batter stands bemused. Did he nick it? Or did a fielder click his fingers to mimic the sound of an edge?
A row has erupted in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League after footage went viral of what has been dubbed 'Clickgate' – or 'Clicky Ponting', a play on the former Australian captain's name. The video, watched more than 3m times, appears to show a Saltburn 2nd XI fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passes Norton batter Noman Shabir's bat. Wicketkeeper Josh Bowes completed the catch, and the umpire gave Shabir out, despite his visible protests.
“Saltburn fielder accused of clicking fingers to fake edge as Norton batter given out; league investigates.”
Ben Mummery, who posted the footage on social media, called it “about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket”. He noted: “Apparently, their keeper has a huge amount of catches this season.” The post tagged BBC Test Match Special, Sky Sports Cricket and the Tailenders podcast, co-hosted by England bowling great James Anderson.
The NYSD League confirmed it had received a formal complaint and launched a full investigation. In a statement, it said: “Until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”
Further claims have emerged. Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough CC’s 2nd XI in a 29-run defeat to Saltburn in June, alleged a similar incident in that match, sharing video of what commenters described as scandalous.
Saltburn won the division two game by 159 runs and sit 17 points clear at the top of the table. The club has been approached for comment. The scandal has made headlines in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, drawing comparisons to Sandpapergate – the 2018 ball-tampering affair that rocked Australian cricket.
As amateur sleuths pore over previous scorecards, the cricket world waits to see whether the league will deliver punishment. Mummery’s verdict was blunt: “It’s not cricket.”
