Northamptonshire's Cricket Committee Chairman, Roy Virgin, is standing down after nearly five years in the post.

No successor has yet been chosen, and the club may delay a decision until after the end of the current season.

The 61-year-old former Northamptonshire skipper, who made 103 appearances as an opening batsman for the county after arriving from his native Somerset in 1973, succeeded Roy Wills as Cricket Chairman in 1997.

He said: "I have taken this decision for reasons which I must stress are nothing to do with recent first-team results.

"While they have been disappointing, we always knew that life in the First Division would be tough. I have a great deal of faith and belief in the ability of our Director of Cricket, Bob Carter, and of the playing staff generally.

"I firmly believe that whatever the rest of this season holds in store for the team, the medium and long-term future remains bright.

"At this time, it's vital that everyone who holds Northamptonshire cricket dear to their heart gets behind and supports the side and the staff wholeheartedly.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my period as Cricket Chairman and I feel we've achieved a great deal in that time. Winning the Division Two title last year was perhaps the highlight, but we've also established a more professional cricket management structure and have developed our own Academy which is one of the few to have been accredited by the ECB.

"I'm sure that we have made good strides forward during the past few years."

Northamptonshire's Chairman, Simon Schanschieff, paid tribute to the contribution made by Roy Virgin, who retired from first-class cricket in 1977 and joined the committee in 1990.

"Roy has done an outstanding job over the past five years or so, displaying commitment and dedication which characterise him as an individual," he said.

"I respect his very private reasons for standing down at this time, and accept that he was not prepared to change his mind.

"He has achieved a tremendous amount as Cricket Chairman, moving the club's cricket forward, and he has never been afraid to take the difficult or tough decisions."

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