Former England cricket star Chris Lewis tried to smuggle £140,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport hidden in fruit juice, a court heard today.

Lewis hid the drug in liquid form in tins of fruit and vegetable juice packed into his cricket bag, the jury was told.

The ex-cricketer also had in his luggage a cannabis grinder and cigarette papers which all tested positive for cannabis residue.He was involved in a "joint enterprise" with basketball player Chad Kirnon who also had cocaine hidden in his luggage, the court heard.

The drugs amounted to 3.37kg at 100 per cent purity with a street value of 140,000.Lewis, now 41, played 32 Test matches and 53 one-day internationals in the 1990s, including the 1992 World Cup final. He was arrested in December last year after flying into Gatwick from St Lucia.

Tom Wilkins, prosecuting said: "The simple question is: Did Lewis and Kirnon know they were bringing in cocaine - and on that point the evidence is overwhelming."They had flown in together from St Lucia, they had flown out to St Lucia together, they knew one another and they were acting together.

"Lewis was intercepted by custom officials after his flight touched down at 5am.Lewis told them he had been travelling alone and had been in St Lucia visiting family and friends but the cricket bag he was carrying had Kirnon's name of the label.

Mr Wilkins said: "That was the first of a number of links between the two defendants and what they were up to. Lewis confirmed that all the luggage was his, confirmed he had packed it himself and, importantly, he was saying he was not carrying anything for anybody else and he was aware of the contents.

"But officers went through the bag and found a number of tins of fruit and vegetable juice which on closer inspection revealed a liquid containing cocaine.

"It was not fruit juice but a brown liquid with cocaine dissolved in it and there is no dispute that it was cocaine. After his arrest Lewis was formally questioned but made no comment.

Mr Wilkins told the jury: "If it (the drugs) was found on you and you knew nothing about it you would be keen to explain but Lewis made no comment to all the questions put to him."

Ten minutes after Lewis was stopped Kirnon was also stopped and claimed he had been in St Lucia for a week to visit his uncle. He too confirmed he had packed the bags himself and was not carrying anything for anyone else but three tins of fruit juice bearing the drugs were found in his luggage.

When interviewed he said he had bought the tins when he had been shopping in the Caribbean island and had checked his bags in at the local hotel rather than at the airport.

He said that he had not travelled to the airport with Lewis.Lewis, who was born in Guyana, claimed 93 wickets during his England Test career and finished with a test batting average of 23.

He retired from county cricket in 2000 because of injury after playing for Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Surrey.

An attempted comeback last year in 20 matches proved fruitless.

Kirnon has played for the London Towers basketball team.Lewis, 41, of Brent, and Kirnon, 27, of Islington, have both pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court. The case continues