Village cricket cheating scandal convulses Middle England as ‘Clicky Ponting’ fielder’s trick fools umpires
A village cricket scandal went global… literally at the click of a finger.
An investigation has been launched after a cheating storm fueled by viral social media video evidence rocked English grassroots cricket.
The focus was on Saltburn Cricket Club in North Yorkshire; Footage has emerged online showing a fielder fooling umpires by clicking his fingers to mimic the sound of the edge of the bat. Multiple videos show this has been happening for some time.
Footage from Saltburn’s 2nd XI match against Norton Cricket Club in Division Two of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League last weekend showed Saltburn bowler Sam Morrison tossing the ball past the bat of Norton batsman Noman Shabir without making contact.
At the same time, the Saltburn fielder, who Daily Mail Sport understands to be Brian Devine, appears to be snapping his fingers. When Saltburn goalkeeper Josh Bowes receives the ball, Saltburn appeals and the referee ejects Shabir.
Shabir can clearly be seen objecting to his dismissal and appears to indicate to the referee that he did not kick the ball and that the sound heard was a finger click.
Amateur cricketer Brian Devine was caught snapping his fingers to make it look like the batsman was behind when he actually didn’t hit the ball at all
Saltburn player caught on camera tapping fingers as ball was near bat
Norton batsman Noman Shabir protests that he did not touch the ball after being distributed
The clip and other similar evidence attracted international media attention and went viral on the internet and social media.
A statement from the North Yorkshire and South Durham League said: ‘The league has received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents that occurred in a League Two match on Saturday 25 July 2026. ‘A full investigation has been launched and no further comment will be made until formal processes have been completed.’
Saltburn won their match against Norton by a huge margin of 159 runs.
Devine was nicknamed ‘Clicky Ponting’, a light-hearted reference to Australian legend Ricky Ponting. That’s the funny thing about people like Piers Morgan condemning the actions.
As for X, one keen cricket fan wrote: ‘An outrageous ruse and what has come to light since it was exposed is just the tip of the iceberg.
‘It is clear that Clicky Ponting (now known) and various teammates at Saltburn CC have been involved in this disgraceful scam for years. Imagine doing this in domestic amateur cricket. Pathetic.’
Other clips online show Devine snapping his fingers to fool referees and get unfairly sent off in other matches.
One such example is a video showing footage of the match between Saltburn and Middlesbrough’s second XI.
Other incidents of Devine tapping his finger for a wicket were also detected in previous matches
North Yorkshire and South Durham League launches full investigation into Saltburn
Saltburn was widely condemned on social media after multiple videos emerged
Saltburn’s actions have been described as the ‘worst case of cheating’ seen in online cricket and long-term bans are likely to be issued. Unconfirmed reports online suggested Devine had been suspended by Saltburn for the remainder of the season. Daily Mail Sport approached both Saltburn and Norton for comment but did not receive a response.
In 13 games with Devine as the slide catcher in 2026, Saltburn’s shortstop had 39 catches. In seven games without Devine, the goalkeeper scored just five goals.
In addition to numerous video clips of Devine snapping his fingers online, scorecards from previous matches have also cast further doubt on Saltburn’s antics.
On 18 July Saltburn’s second XI played at Shildon Railway CC and wicketkeeper Bowes took a massive eight catches. Such a number is quite unusual. The record number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test match innings is seven. Bowes has averaged nearly four catches per game in eight games this season. The investigation is still ongoing.
It is the responsibility of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League to investigate and enforce allegations of cheating or complaints about teams’ conduct. It is therefore unlikely at this stage that the England and Wales Cricket Board, English cricket’s governing body, will be directly involved.
EXCLUSIVE: WHO IS SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB’S CLICKER?
Special design by Vivek Chaudhary
The cricketer at the center of the clicking scandal is ‘legendary’ amateur player Brian Devine, the Mail has revealed.
Devine, 38, has played for Saltburn Cricket Club for years and is well known on the cricket scene in North Yorkshire.
A prolific batsman, he also previously played for Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club, helping the club win the Bradford Premier League second-tier title in 2023.
Following that success, he returned to Saltburn for the start of the 2024 season and stated in a social media post: ‘Excellent strike on Saturday from returning legend Brian Devine. 95 runs.”
There was such excitement around his return that he even managed to secure a sponsorship deal with local Indian restaurant Spices of Saltburn.
Father-of-one Devine, from Guisborough, Cleveland, works as a company secretary at Northallerton Auctions, which specializes in livestock and farm machinery auctions.
Father-of-one Devine, from Guisborough, Cleveland, works as a company secretary at Northallerton Auctions, which specializes in livestock and farm machinery auctions.
When contacted by the Daily Mail about the viral video and told he had been called ‘Clicky Ponting’, Brian replied: ‘Naturally I can’t comment on that.’
When he was later told he was widely accused of cheating and asked if there was another explanation for what was happening in the videos, he said: ‘I don’t want to talk about it. I am at work.’
From his social media posts, it is clear that Brian, apart from his love for cricket, is also a big fan of Boris Johnson.
In a post from 2022 he wrote: ‘Best man Boris. Others may try to humiliate you! I won’t say a bad word! ‘I’m going to get my kettle.’
