Clicky Ponting and ‘known cheats’ on the golf course: the crisis in UK sportsmanship

Some blame social media and the behaviour of world leaders for a perceived decline in honesty

When a cricket team in North Yorkshire became the centre of a cheating scandal that made headlines around the world, it made many think – is this a very British form of cheating?

Cricket in England is regarded as a genteel sport, so allegations of cheating tend to reverberate. A video of Saturday’s game between Saltburn second XI and Norton second XI has been viewed more than 7m times after viewers spotted a fielder clicking his fingers as the batter swings for the ball. The fielder has been accused of trying to use the clicking noise to trick the umpire into thinking the ball clipped the edge of the bat before being caught.