Challow & Childrey CC have been given a reprieve after an appeal hearing last night reversed a decision relegating their teams in The Oxford Times Cherwell League for falsifying registration forms.

The league's disciplinary sub-committee last month ruled that the club's first and second XIs should be relegated from Divisions 1 and 4 respectively.

But at an appeal, held at Cumnor CC, the decision was revised.

Instead of relegation, the first team will start next season on minus 20 points, and the second team will begin the campaign on minus 40 points.

Challow have also been fined £120 - which is thought to be the first time the league have slapped a financial penalty on a club.

The appeal panel also ordered that Challow should write to the league registration secretary stating the processes that will be put in place to avoid a repeat of the situation.

This will involve the registrations being verified by Challow's cricket committee and then being submitted to the league before the start of the 2003 season.

Challow president Don Pert said the club was delighted with the decision, but believed they had nothing to celebrate.

"It was in no way an attempt to cheat, but we've done wrong, without a shadow of a doubt, and we've got caught," he said. "Why would we be celebrating that?

"I think that the appeal decision is fair and appropriate - we've got what we deserve.

"I felt most sorry for the players. We lost a lot of players at the start of last season, and the whole aim at the start of the year was to stay up. The players did that, and then they had it taken away."

Pert added: "I think that the league have not got their message across about registrations."

League chairman Derek Primett said: "The appeals committee decision, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, is final, so it is inappropriate for the league to make any further comment."