The Marston’s Shropshire Premier Cricket League will have overseas professionals next season – but only after the decision survived a tied vote at the league’s AGM.

The 14 clubs could not be separated on the issue with the secret ballot finishing 7-7, leaving league chairman Mike Robinson with the casting vote.

And he opted to keep the professionals in the league for another 12 months at the meeting held at Reman Services Club in Shrewsbury last night.

Robinson said: “The overseas pro will remain for next season. The vote was tied and as chairman I used my casting vote to retain the status quo and follow in the tradition of the league.

“It finished 8-6 last year so it is getting closer, but I felt that it was right to keep things as they are.”

Several clubs in the league already play without an overseas pro off their own back .

But the top performers with bat and ball in last season’s league were both Indian professionals – Newport star Aditya Jain plundered 1,469 runs while Much Wenlock’s Shailendra Sengar took 64 wickets.

Meanwhile, the controversial Sunday fixtures, in place because of the number of sides in the league, will be scrapped for 2011 and instead played on Bank Holiday Mondays.

Quatt’s run to the final of this year’s National Village Knockout competition res-ulted in them forfeiting a league match and the decision to scrap Sunday matches means a repeat of that scenario will now be avoided.

Robinson added: “We will now be playing the two extra fixtures on the Spring and August Bank Holiday Mondays.

“That means we will be playing on the same day as the Birmingham League games. That was passed unanimously and all the clubs were in agreement.

“Obviously that will avoid any clash with Village Knockout or county games and it seemed to be the most sensible decision.”

The league’s clubs also voted in favour of a rule change meaning that if a second XI fixture is cancelled because of a lack of players, then the first XI side face a points deduction.

“We haven’t decided how many points yet but we will work that out at the January meeting,” added Robinson.