July 30, 2026 — 11:32amThe English cricketer accused of clicking his fingers to simulate edges has been suspended “for the forseeable future” pending an investigation, as Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said urban cricket legend was rife with stories that were only now being captured by video streaming.Saltburn Cricket Club released a statement overnight (AEST), its first public comment on the scandal since the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League launched an investigation into Saltburn player Brian Devine, who in videos posted to social media appears to click his fingers as the ball goes past the bat.Brian Devine has been named as the man at the centre of the alleged cricket scandal.The allegation is that by making a noise similar to an edge, Devine tries to trick umpires into giving batters out caught behind.Saltburn said it was treating the allegation seriously and urged those who have rushed to condemn Devine to remember that they are an amateur club run by volunteers.“This is issued in response to the widely publicised complaint made against a Saltburn Cricket Club member and, as a consequence, against the club more generally,” the statement said.“We are treating this allegation with the utmost seriousness and, as a family-centric club, we are fully co-operating with the NYSD League’s investigation.“We believe that the club acted decisively as soon as the complaint and investigation were made known to us. 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.“Initial discussions have already taken place between club officials and the league.“This has been a very distressing and stressful experience for all those concerned, and we would ask that this reality is borne in mind and that personal boundaries are respected, as we are an amateur club entirely run by volunteers.“We will be making no further comment at this time.”Hazlewood was amused by the episode, and said sharp practice that had been the stuff of urban legend for decades were now being captured by streaming video of club cricket.Unlike at professional level, though, there is no “Snicko” technology to confirm whether a noise as the ball passes the bat is actually an edge.“I’d say that stuff’s been going on for 100 years and it’s just now with livestreaming that people have picked it up,” Hazlewood said.“You could ask around cricket clubs for years and years and you’d find there are heaps of stories of people trying to get away with things like that, for sure.”Jokingly he added: “It must be flat wickets, I reckon.”This masthead has attempted to contact the NYSD League, Saltburn Cricket Club and Devine.The episode has drawn worldwide attention, and the English press has labelled Devine “Clicky Ponting”, a reference to Australian great Ricky Ponting.Devine has drawn condemnation from British broadcaster Piers Morgan and former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn, who called him a “click clown”.Cricket satirists The Grade Cricketer have offered to provide financial support to both the player and the club to help them financially should they lose sponsorship from the saga.Sam Perry and Ian Higgins from The Grade Cricketer felt the Saltburn and Devine had been unfairly subjected to global condemnation.TGC also offered to support a “penguin fund” to support and train umpires in the league.“TGC aims to find humanity in the absurdity of cricket, for everyone who never made it,” TGC said in a statement sent to this masthead.“For over a decade we have celebrated and benefited from the low-rent charm of club cricket’s rich, dark underbelly, alongside hundreds of thousands of people around the world.“Of course, it would appear some members at Saltburn CC have engaged in comically sharp practice. But sadly, when f---wits like Piers Morgan declare to millions that ‘Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history’, all proportionality is lost, and we feel a brotherly obligation to support the club in that context.”News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.Daniel Brettig is The Age's chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.From our partners