CLIVE Ricks recorded a convincing victory in his head-to-head battle with Roger Mitty to be the new chairman of the MP Sports Cherwell League last night.

Clubs voted 21-13 in favour of the former Cumnor stalwart, who moved to Horspath this season, at a packed annual meeting at Bicester & North Oxford CC – with two spoiled papers and one abstention.

Ricks was proposed by Abingdon Vale with Horspath’s support, and his election will be seen as a vote for change, while Cumnor’s Mitty was the candidate of the executive, which has often not found favour with the clubs.

Ricks, who succeeded Martin Phillips, took the chair to a round of applause, before telling the clubs: “Thank-you very much for your confidence.

“Hopefully I will win over the doubters in the room. Clearly my intention is to help move the Cherwell League forward, which I have always said is well run.

“I would thank Martin for his three years in charge. He mentioned earlier it had not been easy and has mentioned it being a ‘poisoned chalice’.

“I think I have had one half and now I look forward to the chalice!”

That remark seemed to refer to the astonishing attack he had come under in an open letter to clubs from nine of his fellow executive members in the build-up to the election.

And having taken the chair, Ricks was keen to show he was in charge – telling clubs he was adjourning the meeting for a few minutes while he spoke with secretary Peter Tomlin – one of the ‘band of nine’.

Speculation swept through the Tudor Jones pavilion at what the outcome would be.

And when the meeting resumed, Ricks, seemingly revelling in his moment of glory, gave the clubs the opportunity to vote on each of the officers and the members of the executive individually.

But any thoughts of a widespread coup quickly dissipated as they were all re-elected virtually unopposed, with the addition of Didcot’s David Pryor.

Mitty, meanwhile, was gracious in defeat, saying: “I am disappointed, but it is a democratic process and I wish him well.”

Declining to comment on whether the executive’s open letter had harmed his chances, he added: “I am out of this now and I will get on with Cumnor Cricket Club.”

The meeting also saw Hanborough re-elected, while Cublington, last season’s Four Counties League champions, were voted into the league.

Officers elected Chairman: C Ricks; secretary: P Tomlin; treasurer: J Lodge; fixture secretary: J Pearson; executive members: M Boyden, S Brian, D Brooks, D Giles, Tariq Mehmood, G Stearn, K White, D Pryor.