The chairman of the Surrey Cricket Championship Crispin Lyden-Cowan has hit back at claims it forces clubs to spend money they do not have.

Matt Joblin, the skipper of newly promoted Premier Division side Leatherhead CC, this week told the Epsom Guardian there was a "them and us" culture in the League due to financial inequalities.

He also said the Fetcham Grove club had been forced to spend £10,000 on extending its changing rooms by one metre to meet Championship criteria - otherwise they would face expulsion from the top flight.

However, Lyden-Cowan said: "The Surrey Championship require the Premier Division clubs to meet ECB minimum standards - these are covers, sight-screens and boundary ropes.

"On all other matters we use our experience in an advisory capacity only. We would not exclude clubs from the Premier Division for having their changing rooms one metre too small."

He added: "I respect clubs that use their facilities to gain additional income from sources other than cricket, and then using that money to fund other sports at their club.

"We have no edict or authority to tell clubs to move that money to other cricket clubs."