Essex: Cricketer Mervyn Westfield, 23, jailed for spot-fixing

THE first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing was sentenced to four months in prison at the Old Bailey today.

Former Essex player Mervyn Westfield, 23, was jailed for one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs.

He will serve half the term in prison and a confiscation order was made for �6,000.

He was paid �6,000 to bowl so that a specific number of runs would be chalked up in the first over of a match between Durham and Essex in September 2009.

It was claimed that Westfield was “targeted” by former Essex team mate and Pakistan international Danish Kaneria, who set up the deal.