Saltburn Cricket Club have suspended the amateur cricketer at the centre of the 'Clicky Ponting' scandal after a viral video sparked accusations of cheating. The fielder was filmed clicking his fingers as the ball passed the batsman, leading to a caught-behind dismissal that convinced the umpire to award the wicket.
Incident and fallout
The video, posted on Monday evening, showed the incident during Saltburn's second XI victory over Norton in Division Two. The fielder's click coincided with the ball going past the bat, and wicketkeeper Josh Bowes took the catch. The umpire gave the batsman out, and Saltburn went on to win by 159 runs, moving 17 points clear at the top of the division.
Since the footage went viral, amassing millions of views, the club has taken action. Saltburn confirmed they will not fulfil their second-team fixture against Marton on Wednesday, forfeiting the cup tie.
Club statement
In a statement on social media, Saltburn said: 'This is issued in response to the widely publicised complaint made against a Saltburn Cricket Club member and, as a consequence, against the club more generally. We are treating this allegation with the utmost seriousness and, as a family-centric club, we are fully cooperating with the NYS League's investigation. We believe that the club acted decisively as soon as the complaint and investigation were made known to us.'
The club added: 'The player at the centre of the complaint has been suspended and will not play again for the club this season or in the foreseeable future, pending the outcome of this investigation. Initial discussions have already taken place between club officials and the league. This has been a very distressing and stressful experience for all those concerned, and we would ask that this reality is borne in mind and that personal boundaries are respected, as we are an amateur club entirely run by volunteers. We will be making no further comment at this time.'
Several well-known figures have condemned the behaviour shown in the video, which has been widely shared online.
