A bitter power struggle is set to come to a head tonight when clubs vote on who they want to run cricket’s MP Sports Cherwell Cricket League.

Chairman Clive Ricks’s team face up to eight rebel executive members in the showdown at Rover Cowley Sports & Social Club (7.30pm).

The extraordinary general meeting – the league’s third in five years – has been triggered by the rebels after they passed a vote of no confidence in Ricks.

It came at only the new chairman’s second executive meeting after he was voted in by clubs at the annual meeting.

Rebel leaders Don Brooks and John Pearson claimed there had been a complete breakdown between Ricks, Dick Giles and David Pryor and the rest of the executive, which they felt was irreparable.

And having defeated Ricks in a vote of no confidence, the rebels went on to force an EGM.

It may yet be a masterstroke by Brooks, Pearson & Co.

However, it’s a high-risk strategy and it may turn out to be the most crass piece of political manoeuvring for many a year.

Ricks’s election at the annual meeting last November was seen as a vote for change by the clubs as he defeated Roger Mitty – the candidate put forward by a band of nine executive members – 21-13.

But respecting the work the rest of the executive had done over the years and the experience they have, the clubs also gave them their backing.

However, following this latest move, it may be that the clubs’ patience has finally run out and they could be ready to show them the door.

Thirty-eight clubs are entitled to vote at the meeting, which is to chaired by Oxford CC chairman Ian Pickford.

And that means 20 is the magic number required by either side to secure victory.