An amateur cricket match in England has been at the center of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to deceive the umpire into dismissing the batsman. The incident, which went viral on social media and is now known as ‘Clickgate’ or ‘Clicky Ponting’, took place during a match between North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Cricket League Division Two cricket club XI Saltburn Cricket Club and Norton Cricket Club.
what happened?
Controversy surrounds the dismissal of Norton batsman Noman Shabbir. When the bowler delivered the ball, it came close to Shabir’s bat but did not appear to make contact. At that moment, a Saltburn outfielder standing in the first slide clicked his fingers, making a high-pitched sound very similar to the sound of a ball grazing a bat. The wicketkeeper caught the ball cleanly and the Saltburn man immediately appealed and the umpire believed he had heard the edge and dismissed the batsman.Shabbir protested the decision, insisting he did not touch the ball, but the referee stood by his ruling. A video of the incident quickly went viral on social media, with many viewers claiming the finger-click was intentional to deceive the referee.Saltburn won with 159 points to sit 18 points clear at the top of Division 2.
More allegations surface
The controversy didn’t stop with the spread of the video. Following the incident, cricket fans began analyzing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that stands out is that goalkeeper Josh Bowes has caught 31 balls in just 8 games, including 8 catches in a single game against Shirdon Railway.By comparison, the world record for a keeper taking the ball in a men’s Test innings is seven, making the number unusual enough to spark further speculation, although the statistic does not in itself prove foul play.Soon after, Middlesbrough’s second-choice captain Rory Cotterill publicly claimed that his side had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during their defeat at Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a match against Wolviston FC has also surfaced online, showing a batsman being ejected in similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.
Alliance launches investigation
North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League confirmed it had received a formal complaint and had launched an investigation.The league said in a statement: “The league has received a formal complaint regarding an alleged incident in League Two on Saturday. A full investigation has been launched and no further comment will be made until formal proceedings are completed. “The unusual incident attracted worldwide attention. The original video has been viewed more than 5 million times on X (formerly Twitter), while cricket fans from around the world are debating whether the dismissal should stand.Former newspaper editor and TV presenter Piers Morgan also responded, calling the player involved “the biggest liar in cricket history”, a comment that further amplified the online controversy.
