Brian Devine, the English amateur cricketer who snapped his fingers to fake the sound of edged deliveries, has been banned from the game for two years, the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League announced Friday.
The suspension bars Devine from all cricket under the England and Wales Cricket Board's jurisdiction through Sept. 29, 2028. He cannot play, coach, umpire, score or manage junior teams during that time.
His club also paid a price. Saltburn Cricket Club was fined £300, and its second XI was demoted from Division Two to Division Three, where it will open the 2027 season 60 points behind.
That demotion spares Middlesbrough's second XI, which had finished 11th in the 12-team division. Saltburn's first XI was already headed down from the league's Premier League after its own 11th-place finish.
The click that fooled an umpire
The scheme came to light through footage of a July Division Two match against Norton. Fielding at slip, Devine appeared to click his fingers as the ball went past the bat of Noman Shabir and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. Saltburn appealed, and the umpire sent Shabir off.
The clip spread quickly online and drew attention around the world, earning Devine a nickname borrowed from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Saltburn provisionally suspended him for what remained of the 2026 season, and more examples of the trick later surfaced on social media.
Inside the investigation
The league said it began investigating after receiving complaints in late July, and that the complaints covered Devine's and Saltburn's conduct in more than one match. Over several weeks, investigators interviewed players, gathered written statements and studied video, with a three-person disciplinary panel weighing the evidence.
Devine and the club both admitted misconduct. Only Saltburn challenged its penalties on appeal. Devine is the lone player sanctioned, although the league believed other Saltburn players had taken part.
In closing the case, the league acknowledged the toll on people who had been abused online and in person, and asked the public to accept that the process had ended. Saltburn said it had cooperated fully, accepted the appeal ruling and was turning its attention to 2027.
I guess it wasn’t a nice thing to have my name associated with someone who’s blatantly cheating
Ricky Ponting, former Australia captain
Ponting, who captained Australia to two 50-over World Cup titles, said earlier this year that the episode made him laugh, though he was less pleased to see his name tied to it.
