THE seedy world of cricket match fixing could have it's origins in East Lancashire -- after one of the earliest cases was uncovered in the Clitheroe Times at the turn of the century.

Recent match-fixing stories involving South African captain Hansie Cronje and Blackburn Northern's Ata-ur-Rehman, have highlighted the issue but it has emerged that Haslingden professional Jack Usher, a Yorkshire professional, was fined £10 for offering Nelson's paid man an inducement to throw a game in August 1900.

Usher said he'd only made a "good term" offer -- if Haslingden needed a few runs towards the end of the match -- but he was found guilty and told to apologise to the Lancashire League.

"We knew about the case," said Haslingden secretary Chris Aspin. "But I think match fixing probably goes back earlier than this. I think wherever money gets involved in sport it tends to encourage corruption."

Usher joined Haslingden at the age of 41 in 1900 after playing for Bacup and in his first year went on to help the Bentgate side lift their first championship.

Usher, a slow left arm bowler, also held a long-standing record of taking 152 wickets in his season there.

The fixing 'scandal' was uncovered by Mrs Jennifer Mortimer, a member of Clitheroe's local history society.