Nowadays, cheating takes place on all levels. This is evident by a cricket story that points to an amateur match being investigated for a case of a simple clicking of the fingers.
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.
The ball is bowled, the batter plays a shot and it’s caught by the wicketkeeper to cheers all round. The batter is clearly bemused. Did he hit it? Or…did a fielder click his fingers to mimic a nick?
A row has erupted in the normally friendly, if ultra-competitive, world of English club cricket after footage went viral of alleged cheating. Australian cricket will always have Sandpapergate. The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League now has clickgate – or, as it has been christened online, “Clicky Ponting” – a play on the name of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
The league has promised a full investigation in response to a complaint made after Saturday’s division two match between Saltburn 2nd XI and Norton 2nd XI.
A video posted on social media showing a fielder apparently clicking his fingers as the batter goes for the ball. He has been accused of trying to trick the umpire into thinking the ball clipped the edge of the bat before being caught.
The bemused batter can be seen protesting to the umpire as Saltburn players celebrate. Ben Mummery, who posted the video on social media, said it was "about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket."
“Apparently, their keeper has a huge amount of catches this season,” he said.
Mummery said he was pleased to see the video had gone viral and was uniting the cricket world: "I’m genuinely really happy it’s being exposed. Harshest possible punishment please. It’s not cricket."
The footage has been shared more than 3 million times and has prompted a lively debate as amateur internet sleuths pore over previous Saltburn scorecards.
Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough CC’s 2nd XI in a 29-run defeat to Saltburn in June, said a similar situation had occurred in that match. He shared a video allegedly showing the same player clicking his fingers with commenters describing it as scandalous.
Authorities said they were taking the matter seriously. North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League said in a statement: "The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a division two game on Saturday 25 July 2026."
"A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made."
The controversy didn't 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.
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.
The NYSD Premier League announced late on Monday night that it had launched a full investigation into this game.
"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 league said.
Saltburn won the game by 159 runs and are top of division two by 17 points. The club has been approached for comment.
This is a very unique situation. I never thought for a second that a mere clicking of the fingers can mimic a nick off a bat. Hopefully, the punishment will be harsh. Cheating is a huge no-no in both sports and life.