The UK club cricketer nicknamed 'Clicky Ponting' has been banned from playing cricket for two years following an investigation into the cheating scandal which emerged online over the summer.
Brian Devine, who was dubbed 'Clicky Ponting' after a video circulated of him clicking his fingers in the slip cordon to simulate the sound of the ball hitting the edge of the bat, has been banned from all cricket under the ECB's remit until the end of the 2028 season. His team, Saltburn CC second XI, have also been relegated to Division Three of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League. Saltburn have also been fined £300.
The video of Devine went viral over the summer. The footage showed him clicking his fingers at first slip in a match against Norton CC, successfully fooling the umpire into thinking the ball had taken the edge of the bat through to the keeper. Subsequent videos emerged of other alleged incidents of Devine using the same tactic in other Saltburn matches.
An investigation into the incident included player interviews and written statements, as well as a thorough review of the footage by the league. Devine was suspended by the club for the rest of the 2026 season, but accepted the misconduct charge after the investigation was complete.
@Saltburncc First slip clicks his fingers to imitate an edge, bat nowhere near it and given out. This is about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket. Apparently, their keeper has a huge amount of catches this season. @talkSPORT @bbctms @SkyCricket @TailendersPod https://t.co/iM7lZfKF5q
— Ben Mummery❤️🤍❤️🤍 (@ben_mummery) July 27, 2026
Saltburn appealed against their sanction, and, as well as being relegated to the third divisions of the NYSDL, will start the 2027 season with a 60-point deduction.
A statement from the league read: “The League recognises 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.”
A statement from Saltburn CC read: “The club fully participated in the disciplinary proceedings and accept the decision of the appeal following the original decision from the League. We are now focussing on preparations for the 2027 season.”
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including and more. Stay up to date with the , player updates, team standings .