Successful Brighouse engineering boss Ian Thornton has been voted out of office but remains a member of the club he has been at the helm of, since taking over from Eddie Baikie some five years ago.

It appears a split occurred early in the season when Thornton, managing director of Wakefield Road company Phoenix Pressings, clashed with the club's first team captain Matthew Lambert over what he described as the cricket code of conduct not being upheld on the pitch.

“I wasn’t going to sit there among friends and families with what I was hearing from the field of play. I also took on board a complaint from another club official. I tendered my resignation when I didn't get support for it to be sorted,” said Thornton.

According to long-serving player-secretary John Edge the chairman had second thoughts about resigning and offered to carry on.

“There was an extraordinary general meeting called and Ian was not re-elected,” said Edge. “You could say it was over a difference of opinion, the sort we get in sport as in other walks of life.

“They in fact voted for Steve Fenies in his place who is a member of the Right Armers, the social wing of our cricketing committee.

“Ian is no longer on the management committee and we would like to thank him for the sterling work he has done in the interim since taking over from Eddie Baikie and it has not stopped him coming to the club and supporting the cricket teams.

Thornton told Echo Sport: “The Right Armers who have the club's best interests at heart got behind Steve and voted him in and I have no problem with that.

“He is a popular lad who will get the committee behind him and as long as he takes the club forward and it benefits by his contribution then that is fine by me and he will have my support.”

Fenies has been in his adopted county of Yorkshire for 14 years and met his Crosland Moor-born wife Carolyn in Brighouse. They now have two children, Joe 11, and Francesca, aged seven and have been members at Round Hill for the past four years.

He came north in 1992, leaving behind a playing career with the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Cricket Club, to further his career in the exhibition industry.

He now works for White Rose Exhibitions in Cleckheaton and plays his cricket with the Right Armers in the Huddersfield Evening League and occasional charity matches.

“I would like to play for the first or second team at the club but at the moment I have difficulty with being available for selection. It’s a little awkward, shall we say."

He will be playing this Sunday, weather permitting, in the club’s sevens day.

“We are having ten teams from within the club to play six overs-a-side matches from 12.30 and playing off to a winner. The teams will be a mix and match of senior and junior players and it will be a good bonding exercise for all involved. I just hope for once we get a decent Sunday and we can play some cricket.