A former executive with Maidstone's Lashings Cricket Club has become involved in a "cheating" scandal involving an England test cricketer.

James Honey-Green, operations manager with the cricket all-stars, hired former Warwickshire and Leicester all rounder Darren Maddy to play.

But a judge heard Maddy's match fees were diverted into Honey-Green’s own bank account.

Maidstone Crown Court was told 44-year-old Maddy, who played three times for England’s test squad in 1999 and 2000, was cheated out of £7,800.

The £27,000-a-year fraudster was caught out when the ex-cricketer – who played eight times for the Maidstone-based club in 2016 and 2017 – met Lashings team captain, ex-cricketer David Smith at an event at Lords.

Prosecutor Craig Evans said that sparked a probe into the finances and further financial inconsistencies were detected.

It was revealed Honey-Green had also tried to pocket a £900 bill to an academy trust and another £1,255 of building materials were paid by the company and delivered to Honey-Green's home.

Mr Evans said Lashings all stars team was established in 1984 in the town and former stars played in games around the country.

Honey-Green, of Rectory Lodge, Greenside, High Halden, was recruited at a wage of £27,000, a laptop, company car and expenses account.

His role was to pay players and liaise with venues.

He had control of the company's email accounts but left in January 2017 when he came under suspicion, the court heard.

“He was asked for the passwords for the company accounts but he changed them just before handing it over," said prosecutor Craig Evans.

"He used the delay to delete 27,000 emails from three accounts.

“The purpose of that was to conceal evidence of his wrong doing.”

Mr Evans revealed that Honey-Green, who is now a farmer, tried to scam £900 from an academy which worked with Lashings to raise funds.

He told the court how professional cricketer Maddy, who also played for Leicestershire, and played four times for Lashings in 2014 to which he was paid.

Maddy played four more times in 2015 but was never paid and spoke with Honey-Green who assured him he would be paid.

"He deleted 27,000 emails from three accounts... the purpose of that was to conceal evidence of his wrong doing" - prosecutor Craig Evans

“A dinner at Lords in February 2017 Mr Maddy met David Smith, Lashings’ team manger and informed him he had not been paid," he added.

Alan Compton, defending, claimed that Lashings “operated in a chaotic way and entered into adhoc arrangements.”

He said: “People he worked with received bonuses and he began to feel under-valued. But this wasn’t done for naked greed.

"The money wasn’t used to fund expensive holidays or fund a lavish lifestyle.

“He’s ready and willing to pay back every penny.”

Honey-Green admitted three charges of fraud in a position of trust and was given a 10 month suspended sentence suspended for two years.

He has also been ordered to repay £9,000 plus £200 prosecution costs and has been ordered to stay at his home between 9pm and 4am each day for the next three months.