Yorkshire will buy Headingley Cricket Ground and its income streams from Leeds Crciket, Football and Athletics Club (CFAC) before the start of the new season in a month's time or pull out of the negotiations and continue as lease-holders.

That was the pledge which Yorkshire chairman Robin Smith gave to the 450 members who attended the club's annual meeting at Headingley on Saturday.

Smith said that the negotiations, which broke down in January, had now resumed and Yorkshire chief executive Colin Graves had agreed to meet liability in relation to costs if they withdrew from the Heads of Terms agreement.

"Talks have been going on for more than a year and we have found them frustrating," said Smith.

"Negotiations got off to a flying start and there was a good rapport but a funding gap arose between the income we would be buying from Leeds CFAC and the price we would have to pay."

Smith said that they had looked at various options for purchasing the ground but they had still been left with a substantial funding gap. Now they were planning to bring negotiations to a conclusion because the uncertainty could not go on for ever.

They were looking for a straight deal to acquire the club and its income streams but if this did not happen they would continue to run the club on its present basis until the day when things would change.

"Hopefully, Headingley will be in the hands of the club by the start of the season and, if so, the Board plans to appoint a full-time chief executive," said Smith, who promised that no deal would be completed without the members' approval."

Smith said that if Yorkshire acquired the freehold of Headingley all sorts of restrictions and constraints would fall away and they would control advertising, catering and drink, which was where the real money was.

With both Leeds CFAC and Yorkshire playing their own cat and mouse games, it is difficult to be sure how close the two parties are to reaching an agreement.

Yorkshire were stunned a few weeks' ago when they were forced to deny their landlords' accusations that they had pulled out of talks and now it might be their turn to try to hurry on negotiations.

Although there was no shortage of questions, members for once were in a tolerant mood and they readily accepted director of cricket David Byas's explanation for signing a Kolpak player in South African Deon Kruis, despite the club saying a year ago that were opposed to these players flooding into county cricket.

Byas said it was no secret that the bowling department wanted strengthening and they had tried to secure the services of a proven English fast bowler but this had not been possible and he had gained the approval of the Board for the short-term appointment of Kruis, who had been recommended to them by Matthew Hoggard and former South African pace ace Allan Donald.

"It would be very frustrating if our batsmen gave us the chance of victory and we could not press it home on the back of a fast bowler," said Byas, who revealed that former Yorkshire players John Hampshire, Barrie Leadbeater and Peter Hartley, now all first class umpires, had been standing in at their recent indoor practice sessions.

Byas said there was no excuse for last season's lack of success but there had been plenty of positives like the progress of Joe Sayers, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah and they now had more batting depth.

Smith earned applause when he lashed Bradford North MP Terry Rooney for his accusations of "deep-rooted, embedded racism" within the club.

"It was a very disagreeable episode and we were entitled to expect more from an MP than shooting from the hip," said Smith.

"We have provided untold benefits for young cricketers throughout Yorkshire and to be lampooned in this way under the protection of Parliamentary privilege was wrong."

Stephen Mann (800 votes), from Ilkley, and David Tunbridge (690), from South Yorkshire, were elected to the members' committee, beating off challenges from Rob Lolley (632) from Leeds and Robert Hilliam (440) from Scarborough.