Mervyn Westfield jailed for four months over cricket scam

A former Essex county cricketer has been jailed for four months after admitting a corruption charge relating to a 40-over game against Durham.

Mervyn Westfield, 23, pleaded guilty to accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to aid spot betting on a match on 5 September 2009.

The Old Bailey heard he agreed to bowl an over to let Durham score a set number of runs for a £6,000 payment.

Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's central fraud group, told reporters "sports fans who pay hard earned money to watch competitive matches have a right to expect players to do their honest best for the team".