A second petition calling for a special general meeting of Leicestershire members was presented to the club yesterday.

It contained 165 signatures, which, from a membership of about 1,400, is well above the five per cent needed according to the club's constitution.

The solicitor representing County members Anna Stead and Stewart Walker sent it by courier to Grace Road at 11am addressed to the company secretary Peter Ellis.

The pair took legal advice this time after the first petition was rejected because it did not conform to the requirements of the club's rules.

They have now called on the club to announce a date for the SGM as soon as possible instead of within the allotted 28 days. The SGM has to be held within 90 days of the receipt of a legitimate request for an SGM.

Stead and Walker finished collecting signatures on Monday during the CB40 League game at home to Kent Spitfires.

Stead said: "The second petition has got 165 signatures, and if you put that with the 39 that were acceptable from the first one, that's more than 200.

"We have not included the 39 but 200 is a pretty good figure. The members were really pushing for an SGM. We had so many people coming to find us I had to stop taking signatures. I ran out of space.

"We probably got around just over half the ground, but people have given me their names and addresses so we can send details to them.

"The players sending a letter asking for the chairman to go has made a difference to the way people feel about having an SGM, and hearing not only what has gone on with David Smith but also on and off the field.

"We have got an intelligent membership, and they really want to get to the bottom of this and ask their own questions.

"We urge the club to consider this latest petition a lot quicker than the last one when they took 28 days. We want to get the situation resolved quickly."

With so many signatures on the petition, an SGM now seems inevitable following more than two months of turmoil at Grace Road following the resignation of chief executive David Smith.

County's acting chief executive Mike Siddall said that once a petition was handed in, in the correct format, "we will proceed to an SGM."

Last week it was revealed that the players had sent a letter to the board demanding the resignation of chairman Neil Davidson, who responded by criticising senior coach Tim Boon and captain Matthew Hoggard.

Davidson then went on holiday and, after an informal meeting, the remaining board members said a statement would be issued after a proper board meeting which is being held tomorrow.

The resolutions on the second petition are the same as on the first.

The first is to hear evidence from Smith about his departure. The second item proposes a vote of no-confidence in Davidson and the board. And the third, which would be voted upon only if the second item is passed, would be to elect an interim board to manage the club until the next annual meeting.

Last week, Stead and Walker wrote to president David Wilson, asking him to intervene in a bid to put an end to the strife at Grace Road.

Stead has since spoken to Wilson and said: "It was a positive discussion in terms of understanding the issues that have been raised by the members.

"He is fully in support of the democratic process that should be followed, provided the petition conforms to the rules of the constitution."