Marland pulls out of ECB race

Jonathan Marland, the former Conservative Party treasurer, has withdrawn from the election to become England and Wales Cricket Board chairman.

The Tory peer made a dramatic late challenge to Giles Clarke a fortnight ago, announcing his candidature just 24 hours before the deadline for nominations, but in the past two weeks Lord Marland has become frustrated by the reaction of a third of the 18 first-class counties in refusing even to meet him to hear his views.

Marland said: "It is now clear to me that I will on this occasion be unable to obtain a majority of the votes required and, faced with the continued refusal of several counties even to meet with me, it is with disappointment that I am announcing my withdrawal from the election for the chairmanship of the ECB."

Clarke, who will now be voted in unopposed for a second term as ECB chairman when the ballot closes early next week, maintained a broad base of support from the majority of county chairmen.

The winner needed only 10 of the possible 19 votes to be successful but Marland was also dismayed when the MCC and Derbyshire, who had been expected to back him, decided instead to stay loyal to Clarke.

Lancashire, who proposed Marland's nomination with Hampshire and Leicestershire seconding, have since been highly critical of the way Clarke has performed in the job following his in 2007.

But Surrey, whose then chairman Michael Soper was the man who originally lost out to Clarke in a second ballot, did not come forward with their expected ringing endorsement of Marland's case.