Yorkshire are set to ratify reforms aimed at avoiding a repeat of their racism scandal – finally freeing Headingley to stage England matches.

Ahead of one of the most crucial days in the crisis-hit county’s 159-year history, Telegraph Sport has been told their members had already voted in enough numbers for governance changes that would also stave off the threat of the club going bust.

An extraordinary general meeting was scheduled for Thursday night for members to approve a package of reforms that would trigger the lifting of the ban on them staging England and other major matches imposed over their handling of the racism scandal to engulf them.

But the in-person meeting was always going to be rendered redundant if the required threshold of a two-thirds majority had been passed by those casting their votes electronically.

The lifting of the England & Wales Cricket Board ban would free Headingley to stage England’s third Test against New Zealand in June and their third one-day international against South Africa the following month, as well as an Ashes Test next year.

The club has been beset by a toxic civil war over reforms that include the appointment of eight independent directors to the 12-strong Yorkshire board and the formal ratification of Lord Patel’s chairmanship, a role he was parachuted into in November following Azeem Rafiq’s harrowing testimony to parliament about the abuse he suffered there.

Robin Smith, the former chairman leading the revolt against those reforms, told Telegraph Sport he could not bring himself to vote for them, even if it meant Yorkshire going bust.

“There comes a time when you have to say principle must prevail,” said Smith, who questioned the legitimacy of the “very unjust” ECB ban.

Smith claimed 15 of Yorkshire’s other 27 vice-presidents and honorary life members were planning to oppose the reforms but said he expected them to be outvoted because of the “threat that Test matches will be taken away”.

Yet, Smith, who argued handing control of the county to those with no allegiance to Yorkshire would “most certainly” not be right for the club, warned defeat might not be the end of the matter.

The EGM had already been twice postponed over procedural flaws identified by Smith, who also declared there to be fundamental defects in Yorkshire’s plan to put the matter to rest.

That included the appointment of a majority-independent board to what is a cooperative society – although this would not be unprecedented – and a proposal to indemnify Lord Patel over his decision to pay Rafiq £200,000 in compensation and sack the club’s entire coaching team at a potential cost of millions.

Smith, who called for Lord Patel to quit earlier this month, said any indemnity would be “null and void” unless there was “full disclosure” of how those decisions came about and of any salary the chairman had received since his appointment.

“There is a right for members to bring litigation,” added Smith. “That’s a possibility but I don’t put it any more highly than that. I’m certainly not issuing a threat to the club about that.”

Indeed, Smith revealed he could step away from the fight after Thursday’s meeting and said he would withdraw his call for Lord Patel to quit if the reforms were approved, instead asking him “to make healing the club his top priority”.

Lord Patel, who has threatened to stand down over the civil war engulfing the club, did not respond to requests for comment.