Former Essex cricketer Mervyn Westfield has been charged with conspiracy to defraud over claims he deliberately played poorly, England's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Thursday. Westfield is alleged to have dishonestly agreed to bowl his first over in a one-day match between Durham and Essex on Sept. 5, 2009 in such a way as to allow a certain number of runs to be scored. “I have advised that Mervyn Westfield should be charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud for intentionally playing other than to the best of his ability, contrary to his contractual obligations,” Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Antony Swift said in a statement. “It is alleged that he dishonestly agreed to bowl his first over to allow the scoring of a certain number of runs at a match between Durham and Essex on 5 Sept. 2009,” he added. He is now due to appear at the City of London Magistrates' Court a week on Thursday (Sept. 23). Westfield was originally arrested in May at the same time as Pakistan and Essex leg-spinner Danish Kaneria. But Kaneria was released without charge by police on Sept. 8.