Cricketing lessons from Westfield ‘bung’ admission

British sport has long basked under the illusion that somehow we are above others when it comes to propriety, and the defence of gentlemanly rules and conduct. Recent events involving racism in football, and now the guilty plea of a cheating cricketer, have woken us up.

This morning a young Essex fast bowler called Mervyn Westfield admitted taking a £6,000 bung from an illegal betting syndicate to give away runs.

He confessed to the highest criminal court in the land – the Old Bailey. Just this summer the world of sport watched horrified and captivated as three leading Pakistani cricketers were found guilty of bowling no-balls against England. Again, at the behest of an illegal betting syndicate (albeit in that case this was an undercover reporter).

The rot has reached the heart of the establishment – the county game, where young players learn their ways.

Westfield, however, was British – and caught by his own teammates. They noticed something was amiss when their normally dependable opening bowler shipped 10 runs in the opening over of a NatWest pro40 game against Durham back in 2009. Westfield later confessed to a fellow player – although he then claimed to the court that he hadn’t actually carried out the deal.

He’ll be sentenced in a month, and could in theory face 10 years in jail – albeit unlikely, given that he ‘fessed up as he did.

The lessons for British cricket are twofold.

One: Westfield detailed how he’d been approached by illegal betting outfits several times over the years. If cricket didn’t know it already, now they do. The rot has reached the very heart of the establishment – the county game, where young players learn their ways.

Two: much like footballers using racist language, if you get caught, you will be sanctioned not just by the governing body, but by the criminal courts. And that could well mean jail.

Watch below: the background on the case, from Keme Nzerem