YORKSHIRE'S cricketers head for the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy final against Somerset at Lord's tomorrow knowing the club's future is assured.

At an emergency general meeting at Headingley yesterday, members approved a move to double Yorkshire's borrowing power from £5million to £10million.

In doing so the membership averted a crisis which would have almost certainly seen the 2001 county champions plunged into bankruptcy.

The vote at a sometimes stormy meeting was overwhelmingly in favour of the motion, with proxy votes showing support of 86 per cent.

However, the club's handling of its financial affairs and loss-making commercial operation came under heavy fire along with the role played by chief executive Chris Hassell, who is due to retire shortly.

There were demands for the committee to resign en bloc and calls for a total restructuring of the way the club is run.

Yorkshire's financial problems have been caused by almost £2million overspending on the £11million redevelopment scheme at Headingley.

After exceeding their £5million overdraft, the club asked bankers HSBC for more funding only to be told they would have to streamline their operation and ditch the time-honoured system of government by committee.

The bank wanted the committee structure replaced by a 'gang of four' who would run the club, with the elected committee reduced to little more than rubber-stamp status.

Yesterday's vote gives the new management team of president Robin Smith, a lawyer, former Yorkshire and England bowler Geoff Cope, York businessman Colin Graves and accountant Brian Boutell, the power demanded by the bank.

And it also cleared the way for HSBC to increase the size of Yorkshire's overdraft and enable the club to meet outstanding bills on the ground redevelopment.

Dunnington-based Costcutter Supermarkets boss Graves, who will take over as chief executive shortly, said: "I believe we can turn this round.

"It will take six or nine months of heartbreak and soul-searching, but I am sure the staff will go along with me.

"We have to get Yorkshire back on an even keel and into a profit situation and then look to the future. I am looking at short, medium and long term.

"And I will never spend money that we don't have. I will not push this club further into debt. We have got to reduce the debt and run the club profitably."

Updated: 12:24 Friday, August 30, 2002