Rebels Wallingford stand alone now as the only club refusing to support the beleaguered chiefs of The Oxford Times Cherwell League.

The latest development in the long-running saga, which has gripped the local cricketing scene, comes after the league's strife-torn executive committee held more crisis talks.

Now they have called an extraordinary general meeting of clubs at Bicester & North Oxford CC on Wednesday, August 9 (7.30).

It comes after they received a joint proposal from Oxford and Banbury, which received the necessary support of 25 per cent of the clubs for an EGM, to consider throwing out the 'rebel four' of Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts, Kidlington and Wallingford.

But, in the meantime, Shipton, Nondies and Kidlington who originally refused to support the executive have written to the league saying that they now have their backing.

That just leaves Wallingford as the sole objectors.

However, Ian Saunders, chairman of Wallingford, gave no indication that his club were ready to change their stance when informed of the situation by the Oxford Mail.

Instead, he said: "My position is I am somewhat concerned I have been notified by the Oxford Mail and not by the league.

"Once I have been informed officially by the league, I will go back to my committee."

The executive committee, who took the unprecedented step of suspending themselves last month, confirmed that their position remained unchanged until the outcome of the EGM was known.

League secretary Peter Tomlin, whose resignation sparked the turmoil, has also not changed his position although chairman Primett remains hopeful he will come back on board.

Primett explained that if Wallingford pledged their support before the EGM, the meeting would be cancelled and the executive would be reconvened.

"The issue is still open to Wallingford if they wish to support the executive," he added. "The sooner we get back to running the Cherwell League and providing cricket for the clubs, the better for everyone concerned."

Primett denied that the executive committee had lost its credibility during the crisis.

"I think it has got immense credibility because the clubs have decided the course of action to take to bring these four clubs into line," he said.

"It is the clubs resolution to bring 100 per cent support for the executive."

Explaining why they had now backed the league , Kidlington chairman Nick Duval said: "We are a cricket club and the Cherwell League provides for us everything we want.

We want to carry on being a cricket club."

Officials of Shipton and Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts were unavailable for comment.