NEWCASTLE City and Suburban Cricket Association has written to clubs urging members not to proceed with a bid to overthrow the board because it could "jeopardise" the competition.
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After months of internal brawling, a player-led revolt is calling for a special general meeting to test a no-confidence vote in the board.
In response, the association wrote to all clubs this week asking them to hold off until the scheduled annual general meeting and election for office bearers later this year.
"We are aware that there continues to be agitation for change and this is the very nature of an association that has its basis in democracy," the letter reads.
"We accept this and simply make the point that should there be a challenge to the board during the season there is a real possibility that the functioning of the competition at the present time may be jeopardised."
In a significant show of no-confidence, almost half of the competition's clubs, which represent 50 of 110 teams, have signed a petition calling for the special general meeting and for the board to be dissolved.
The push was led by Warners Bay Cricket Club after its president, Andrew Kelly, was controversially sacked as NCSCA secretary in December and handed a five-year playing ban.
Mr Kelly's was one of a string of lengthy suspensions handed to board members in the past year amid a bitter power struggle for control of the association following a dispute about finances and allegations of bullying.
NCSCA president Phil Northey has strongly denied any board members have been targeted.
Despite the plea to halt the revolt, Mr Kelly said there was "very strong support" to test the no-confidence motion as soon as possible.
"For the good of the competition we need to get this resolved as quickly as possible," he said.
"Members deserve a right to have their say through a vote and then it will be decided fairly and we can all move forward."
The NCSCA letter to clubs claims "a number" of those who joined the board last year did not have the interest of "cricket at heart", but their "own agendas and set about destabilising and dismantling our organisation".
"Our only interest is the ongoing success of our association and we remain a part of this board for that reason and that reason alone," the letter reads.
Under the association's constitution, the board has 30 days from the date it received the petition to call a special general meeting and must give members 14 days notice.
If the board does not call the meeting within 30 days, members who have signed the no-confidence petition plan to.
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