As opening batsman for the Division Seven encounter, it is suggested that Johnson was able to persuade the Ipswich & East Grinstead bowlers to "just bowl a straight one" in exchange for them being granted first passage to the tea table.

"It seemed to be going like clockwork," said Johnson in his book. "They had batted first and rattled up about 250 and I then had a hell of a job preventing the gannets in our FB XI from stripping the tea table bare like a plague of locusts before the Suffolk men had emerged from the changing room at the interval."

His account of the shameful afternoon continues: "I went out to bat with (Sir) John Gallant and he pissed me off a bit by insisting that he took strike first. I didn't worry too much though because, even if he played out a maiden, I could arrange my 'dismissal' for the seventh ball of the innings and scoop up a tidy sum".

"I had sold (or gone short as it is known in the betting industry) the number of deliveries bowled from the start of our innings." The bet was apparently struck at 31 with Fingringhoe-based international sports spread betting conglomerate Spread Them.

Things deteriorated for Johnson when, off the very last ball of the first over, Gallant edged the ball down to fine leg and Johnson could not dare turn down the single for fear of becoming too obvious. Gallant, completely unaware of the bet, then prodded about for the second over which included a couple of wides but Johnson was happier when the umpires called "over" and he was on strike at last.

However, his joy was shortlived as Gallant called a bye off the first ball and then straight batted the remaining five deliveries back to the bowler.

With the ball count on 20, Johnson wanted to make sure of his dismissal and immediately trod on his wicket and then was disgusted as umpire Paget called "no ball". Realising he could not repeat that particular ploy, he then became horror struck as the incompetent East Grinstead paceman bowled three wides in succession followed by a series of deliveries well outside the line of off stump that Johnson had not the ability to snick behind.

The over finished and, by this time, Johnson still on nought was becoming distraught. He called a suicidal single of the very next ball and was easily run out by ten yards but it was the 31st ball and he had made nothing for his pains.

In a brief telephone conversation with the website this morning, an overworked Johnson said he had not been contacted by officers and did not want to comment further. "I've never tried spread betting since," he concluded. For the club, Head of Security John Stoickbridge (70) was unavailable to comment as he was out driving his new Skoda, courtesy of the proceeds from a bet he won at Sunday's PDQ Cup Final.

Essex Police said the matter was still in its early stages and was not yet a formal investigation. A spokesman added the matter was taken up by a senior officer following extensive publicity in the media.

In a statement, police added: "Police in neighbouring Roughedge have been made aware of a historic spread betting scam allegation at an Abberton cricket match in 2007. We have raised this matter with the ECB and are discussing it with them."

ECB Secretary General Sir Hubert Oldphart confirmed police had been in touch and added: "We will consider what action to take, if any."