An amateur cricket match in England is at the center of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to trick the umpire into awarding a batter. The incident, which has gone viral on social media and is now being dubbed ‘Clickgate’ or ‘Clicky Ponting’, happened during a North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Cricket League Division match between Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI and Norton Cricket Club.
What happened?
The controversy revolves around a dismissal involving Norton batter Noman Shabir. When the bowler delivered the ball, it went close to Shabir’s bat without appearing to make contact. At that precise moment, a Saltburn fielder stationed at first slip clicked his fingers, creating a loud sound that closely resembled the sound of the ball snapping off the bat. The wicketkeeper caught the ball cleanly, the Saltburn players immediately appealed, and the umpire, believing he had heard an advantage, gave the bat.Shabir protested the decision, insisting that he had not touched the ball, but the referee stayed his verdict. A video of the incident quickly spread on social media, with many viewers claiming the finger click had deliberately misled the referee.Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 18 points.
More allegations above
The controversy did not stop with the viral video. After the incident, cricket fans started analyzing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that has attracted attention is wicketkeeper Josh Bowes’ tally of 31 catches in just eight matches, including eight catches in a single 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, although the statistic alone is no evidence of evil.Soon after, Middlesbrough Second XI captain Rory Cotterill publicly claimed his team had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during a defeat at Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a separate match against Wolviston FC has also emerged online, showing a striker being dismissed in similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.
The League launches an investigation
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League have confirmed it has received a formal complaint and has opened an investigation.In a statement, the league said: “The league has received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents at a Division Two match on Saturday. A full investigation has been launched and until the formal proceedings are complete there will be no further comment.”The unusual incident 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 cheater in the history of cricket”, a comment that further amplified the controversy online.