CHERWELL League chiefs announced a staggering financial turnaround at their annual meeting at Bicester & North Oxford CC.

Following a change of hierarchy at the extraordinary general meeting in January this year, the new team – led by chairman Clive Ricks – unveiled an impressive surplus of £6,541.41 for 2011 compared with a loss of £179.57 in 2010.

This was due chiefly to the scrapping of £4,000 annual secretarial fees together with a massive reduction in officers’ expenses and legal fees, with Ricks’s men working on a voluntary basis.

Officers’ expenses plummeted from £2,933.05 in 2010 to £79.16 after the EGM held this year, while legal fees dropped from £2,350 to £416.41.

And remarkably it also came as the new executive introduced a virtual fines amnesty, collecting just £25 this year compared to a whopping £2,615 in 2010.

Ricks commented: “The figures show a significant difference in expenditure.

“The fines are less than one per cent of the 2010 total.

“We are extremely lucky to have officers and committee members who give up their time freely to ensure the league is well administered.”

Treasurer Len Payne said that the league had previously been run on a break-even policy with a fines mentality.

However, he explained that the new approach had not been an unqualified success, and he warned clubs that those failing to pay in future could face fines after being given a warning.

“It is not fair on those clubs with good housekeeping,” he added.

In adopting the accounts, clubs also accepted a proposal for the use of Tiflex cricket balls next season in place of those supplied by MP Sports, whose two-year sponsorship of the league has come to an end.

Horley were elected to the league, with the Oxfordshire Cricket Association champions’ sides to play in Divisions 5 and 9, while Bourton Vale go out.

David Beck, chairman of Horley, told clubs: “It is something we have strived for.

“We are a very progressive club, and we know you will enjoy coming up to Horley – it is a beautiful ground.”

Rule amendments given the go-ahead saw the use of fielding circles restricted to Divisions 1 to 6, with the implementation of International Cricket Council regulations in one-day internationals for wides in the same sections.

Ricks also revealed plans to introduce a Cherwell representative side to play matches against other leagues.

And clubs gave the thumbs up to a new constitution, with the ‘executive’ replaced by a ‘management committee’, which saw one change with Great Brickhill’s Lee Morgan stepping down to be replaced by Tiddington’s Nick Pykett.

Officers elected - chairman: C Ricks; secretary: D Giles; treasurer: L Payner; management committee: K Arnold, S Brain, S Misseldine, G Murton, D Pryor, N Pykett, P Tubb, D Ward.

l THE Oxfordshire Cricket Board’s annual meeting will be held at Hawkwell House Hotel, Oxford, on Monday, December 12 (7).