Piers Morgan calls Saltburn CC’s ‘Clicky Ponting’ ‘biggest cheat in cricket history’, brands alleged click-gate ‘shameful scam’ originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Piers Morgan branded the Saltburn CC fielder the biggest cheat in cricket history.
- The broadcaster called the alleged finger-clicking a shameful scam spanning years.
- The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League has launched a formal investigation.
Piers Morgan calls Saltburn CC’s ‘Clicky Ponting’ ‘biggest cheat in cricket history’
The club cricket cheating row that erupted over the weekend has escalated into a global talking point, and it has now drawn the attention of one of Britain’s most prominent broadcasters. Piers Morgan has weighed in forcefully on the Saltburn Cricket Club controversy, adding considerable heat to an already viral scandal.
At the centre of the storm is a fielder, since christened “Clicky Ponting” online, accused of clicking his fingers to mimic the sound of an edge and deceive the umpire into giving batters out caught. Footage of the alleged deception has spread worldwide, prompting the league to open a formal investigation into the North Yorkshire side.
Morgan, a lifelong cricket enthusiast, did not hold back in his assessment of the clips. His interventions on social media have amplified the story further, framing the episode as one of the most brazen acts of cheating the amateur game has produced.
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Morgan’s scathing verdict on click-gate
In his first post on X, Morgan condemned both the individual and the wider set-up at the club. He wrote, “Outrageous cheating, and just the tip of the iceberg from all that’s come out since it was exposed. Clicky Ponting (as he is now known) and various teammates at Saltburn CC have clearly been at this shameful scam for years. Imagine doing this in local amateur cricket? Pathetic.”
Outrageous cheating, and just the tip of the iceberg from all that’s come out since it was exposed. Clicky Ponting (as he is now known) and various teammates at Saltburn CC, have clearly been at this shameful scam for years. Imagine doing this in local amateur cricket? Pathetic. https://t.co/fFOusuys4u
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 28, 2026
He returned to the subject in a second post, questioning the sheer scale of the alleged deception. Morgan wrote, “Unbelievable. Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history. How long has he been doing this? How many batsmen’s days has he ruined?” The accusations have gathered pace as more clips and data have surfaced.
Unbelievable. Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history. How long has he been doing this? How many batsmen’s days has he ruined? https://t.co/XptHEfE9uo
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 28, 2026
According to ESPNcricinfo, online analysis revealed that Saltburn recorded 39 wicketkeeper catches in 13 matches with the accused slip fielder in the side, compared with just five in seven without him, a disparity that has fuelled suspicion.
Further claims have emerged from opponents. As reported by LBC, Middlesbrough’s second XI captain Rory Cotterill alleged two more incidents in a 29-run defeat to Saltburn last month, saying two teenage batters were cheated out of their innings. The league has confirmed it received a formal complaint and that a full investigation is under way.
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A viral storm that dwarfs the offence
There is a striking imbalance between the setting and the scrutiny. A second-division fixture in a regional league has become a worldwide news item, propelled by a smartphone clip and a celebrity megaphone, with Morgan’s millions of followers ensuring the allegations travelled far beyond County Durham.
The seriousness beneath the spectacle should not be lost, however. If proven, the deception robbed young amateurs of their wickets in a game built almost entirely on trust, and the statistical trail now circulating suggests that umpires may have been repeatedly misled.
Morgan’s language is characteristically hyperbolic, yet the underlying charge, that a fielder manufactured dismissals for years, is a grave one that the investigation must now weigh carefully.
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