Village cricket has been rocked by a cheating scandal after a fielder was accused of clicking his fingers to mimic the sound of the ball hitting the bat.
Footage appears to show a slip fielder for Saltburn 2nd XI snapping his fingers just before his wicketkeeper takes a catch. The batter appears confused to be given out.
After the clip circulated, people accused him of fooling the umpire into thinking the batter had edged the ball.
Social media reaction
Ben Mummery, who shared the footage on social media, said: "Click-gate has gone viral and I’m genuinely really happy it’s being exposed. Harshest possible punishment please. It’s not cricket."
Investigation launched
The incident happened in a match in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League (NYSDL) between Saltburn 2nd XI and Norton 2nd XI, while Saltburn were fielding. League leaders Saltburn ended up winning by a huge margin of 159 runs at their home ground in North Yorkshire.
Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough CC’s 2nd XI in a 29-run defeat to Saltburn in June, has since claimed a similar situation occurred in that match. He shared a video online which allegedly showed the same player clicking his fingers.
The NYSDL confirmed it received a formal complaint regarding Saturday’s game. It said: “A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”
Saltburn CC has been approached for comment.
