Cairns jury set for deliberations

After sitting through more than seven weeks of Chris Cairns's perjury trial in London, the jury is preparing to decide the former cricketing star's fate.

Cairns faces a charge of perjury in relation to a 2012 libel case in which he stated that he had never, ever cheated at cricket.

He and co-defendant barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland also face a charge of perverting the course of justice by trying to get former Black Cap Lou Vincent to provide a false statement for the libel case.

The trial at Southwark Crown Court was initially set down for four weeks, although jurors were warned from the October 5 start that in a worst-case scenario it could last until November 20.

Justice Nigel Sweeney began his summing up on Friday, going through the evidence piece by piece, and is expected to conclude on Tuesday.

The jury will retire to consider its verdict following the judge's comments.

In his direction to the jury, Justice Sweeney has reiterated both the prosecution and defence cases, advised on a number of legal matters, and highlighted several specific issues that have arisen during the trial.

He warned the jurors that witnesses might have their own motives for giving evidence, and singled out Vincent, who says he fixed games on Cairns's orders, as a potential danger.

In Lou Vincent's case, you should be particularly aware he might have his own interests to serve, he said.

Before giving evidence, Vincent was warned about the threat of prosecution for his own criminal activities, but Justice Sweeney said it had become apparent over the course of the trial that the caution was unnecessary.

He said Vincent had not been at risk of being charged, so jury members should disregard any credibility they might have given him as a witness because of the caution.

The judge also noted that it was only in the witness box that Vincent recalled several details about the case.

Justice Sweeney said there were several things Vincent had never said in statements before the trial, including that Cairns once told him that playing in English county cricket would give Vincent a chance to practise underperforming.

The judge is expected on Tuesday to continue going through the evidence of other witnesses in chronological order, including Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum, who said Cairns tried to recruit him for match fixing in 2008.

McCullum said he told several other people, including former teammates Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills, but did not officially report the approach until 2011.

International Cricket Council rules require players to report approaches without undue delay, and Justice Sweeney noted on Monday that witnesses had varied in their recollection as to what they knew of the rules at that time