A FORMER CRICKETER player may face jail time after admitting to a corruption charge.

During a hearing at the Old Bailey in London today, Mervyn Westfield pleaded guilty to receiving payment of €7,000 for deliberately bowling poorly in a county game between his team Essex and Durham back in September 2009.

The court heard that the 23-year-old agreed to bowl the first over as part of a betting scam in order to fix it that 12 runs could be scored.

While it is unlikely, Westfield could potentially receive a maximum sentence of 10 years. The case has been adjourned until February 10 and he was released on bail until that date.

I hold out no promises to you as to the eventual outcome of the case. It is open to the court in this case to pass an immediate custodial sentence,” said Judge Anthony Morris.

Meanwhile, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association Angus Porter welcomed the former player’s decision to plead guilty.

“I’m not sure that court cases necessarily are very helpful but the fact that he has admitted to the crime can only act as a signal to others that sport needs to be treated with respect and played properly, at any level,” he said.

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