Amateur cricket match goes viral after cheating allegation

[AP Photo]

An amateur cricket match in England has become a viral sensation after allegations of cheating were shared on social media.

A video, which claims to show a fielder clicking his fingers to imitate the sound of a bat connecting with the ball before a player is called out, has been viewed millions of times on X.

The person who posted the video described it as “about the worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen in cricket.”

The video of a match involving North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League team Saltburn, has been greeted with outrage online and generated headlines around the world.

TV presenter Piers Morgan weighed in, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history” and wondered how many batsmen’s days “has he ruined?”

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 of the game, 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.

The league said in a statement on X that it had received a formal complaint regarding a game on Saturday, but did not reveal which teams were involved.

“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made,” it said.

There was no immediate response when The Associated Press contacted the league and Saltburn for comment. MDT/AP