Allegations of unsportsmanlike conduct in amateur cricket have escalated with claims that Brian Devine, currently at the center of a corruption investigation involving his club Saltburn CC, employed similar tactics at a previous club five years ago. Devine, whose alleged practice of "clicky pointing" aims to mislead umpires, was reportedly caught on camera during a match for his former side, Pudsey St Lawrence, in August 2021.
Footage from a Bradford Premier League match that year shows Devine, then captain of Pudsey St Lawrence's second XI, repeatedly clicking his fingers while opponents were batting. This action is believed to mimic the sound of a ball hitting a bat, potentially deceiving umpires into ruling a batsman out caught.
During Devine's three seasons as captain of Pudsey St Lawrence's second XI, the team's wicketkeeper, Jacob McDonald, recorded 96 catches, an average of 32 per season. Devine returned to Saltburn in 2024. In the two years following his departure from Pudsey St Lawrence, McDonald's catch count dropped significantly to 22 and then 15, with only five catches so far this season.
Sources from rival clubs have come forward, suggesting that umpires in the Bradford Premier League may have been routinely misled for years. "Our lads have been looking back at surviving film and score books and we have come to the conclusion that he’s been at it for years," a source from one rival club stated. "Young players will have lost opportunities because of this, match results will have undoubtedly been affected, and there is a good case for now stripping Pudsey St Lawrence of its 2023 title."
Pudsey St Lawrence, one of the most historic clubs in Yorkshire cricket, has produced notable players like Herbert Sutcliffe and Sir Leonard Hutton. Martin Reed, Chairperson at Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club, stated that the club was unaware of any issues with Devine's behavior during his tenure and that no concerns were raised. "Had we been made aware of any issues at the time we would have taken appropriate action," Reed said, adding that the club is aware of ongoing investigations by the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League and Saltburn Cricket Club.
The Bradford Premier League has not yet commented on the allegations. A finding of wrongdoing could have significant repercussions for Yorkshire cricket, given the league's long history, founded in 1902.