A video posted on Saturday from a Saltburn second XI match has drawn worldwide attention after it appeared to show Brian Devine clicking his fingers to try to influence an umpire’s decision. The clip, which has been viewed more than 7m times, quickly moved far beyond local cricket and into a full-blown online controversy nicknamed Clickgate.
The footage came from Saltburn second XI’s game against Norton second XI, and it has prompted an investigation by the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League this week. Brian, who has been dubbed Clicky Ponting after the clip circulated, is now the central figure in a story that has spread as far as Australia.
What the video appeared to show
At the centre of the row is the claim that the video shows Brian clicking his fingers in an attempt to trick the umpire into giving batters out. The clip has not just become a local talking point; it has been replayed, discussed and picked apart online because of how unusual the alleged action is in cricket.
Bill Peters said, “There would have been a big fight,” while Pete Welsh suggested, “It must have been a very loud click.” Welsh also said, “If he was doing it and cricket is a gentleman’s game, it wasn’t very gentleman-like.” He added, “I reckon if the lad has anything about him he will come forward and say yes, it was me.”
Why the story has travelled so far
Part of the reason the video has spread so widely is that it cuts against the usual image of cricket as a measured, formal game. Jonathan Agnew said, “I can’t wrap my head round it,” before asking, “Can I hear someone click his fingers from 30 yards away?” He also said, “That umpire … must have incredible hearing,” and added, “They call it a gentleman’s game, but it’s not really.”
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the Victorian town in north-east England where the club is based, is more often associated with its cliff lift, the oldest water-balanced funicular still in operation in Great Britain, although it is currently out of operation. Instead, this week, it has been pulled into a debate about fairness, intent and whether the alleged click was even possible to hear from 30 yards away.
What happens next
For now, the key development is the official review by the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League. That means the story has moved from online speculation to a formal cricket investigation, with the clip now being judged not just as a viral moment but as a potential disciplinary issue.
There is also a cricketing backdrop to the episode. In Saltburn’s previous match, the wicketkeeper made eight catches against Shildon Railway second XI in a 22-run victory. That detail matters because it shows this is not a team that had been drawing attention for controversy before the Saturday video changed the conversation entirely.
For Brian and Saltburn, the immediate issue is no longer the result of one match. It is how the league responds, what is established from the footage, and whether the player or club offers any further explanation as Clickgate continues to grow.
