England amateur cricketer banned 2 years in cheating scandal

An amateur cricketer in England has been banned for two years in a cheating scandal caught on video.

The allegations came to light in July when a video showed a fielder clicking his fingers to imitate the sound of a bat connecting with the ball before a player is called out.

The North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League launched an investigation into the player and the second-division Saltburn team. It spent weeks interviewing players and reviewing video footage.

“Charges were subsequently brought against the player and Saltburn C.C.,” the league said in a statement Friday. “Both admitted the charges.”

The player, identified across British media as Brian Devine, was suspended from all cricket under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board for a two-year period through late September 2028.

“This covers playing, coaching, umpiring, scoring and managing junior teams,” the league said.

The Saltburn team was relegated to division three and will start next season with 60-point deduction. The club also has been fined 300 pounds ($400).

“The league recognizes the strain this has placed on many people, especially those who were abused online and in person. We ask everyone to respect that the formal process is now complete,” the league said.

Cricket has had its share of scandals, ranging from the so-called “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering episode in 2018 that led to suspensions for three Australian international players, to spot fixing scandals that have led to lengthy bans.

But at the amateur levels, such as this so-called village cricket competition in England, umpires have no access to video replays to make decisions and there’s a level of trust required from players when claiming catches.

A cricket umpire could be fooled into calling a player out if they believed they heard the sound of the ball clipping the edge of a bat before being caught.

British media dubbed the case “Clicky Ponting,” a play on the name of Australian great Ricky Ponting.

Saltburn was asked for comment Friday.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket