Viral finger-clicker suspended as cricket storm remains in global spotlight

Saltburn’s amateur cricketer at centre of cheating allegations that grabbed global headlines is suspended by club. An English amateur cricketer at the centre of allegations ⁠of finger-clicking ⁠trickery has been suspended and will not play “for the foreseeable future”, his club has said. The fielder, dubbed “Clicky Ponting” on social media in a punning nod to former Australia captain ⁠Ricky Ponting, allegedly tricked umpires by clicking his fingers to make the sound of a ball nicking the bat as deliveries were missed and caught by the wicketkeeper. The video footage went viral on social media and made international headlines.

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Scoop News DeskPublished Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 5:41 AM UTCUpdated Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC

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Saltburn Cricket Club, run by volunteers, said on Wednesday in a statement it was treating the allegations “with the utmost seriousness”. “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.” It said initial discussions between club ⁠officials and the North Yorkshire and South Durham league had already taken ⁠place.

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