The great local turnout for tomorrow's (Saturday's) English Schools Cross-Country Cup has had an 11th hour boost.

For Hockley's Greensward School have been called into the junior boys' competition after one of the qualifying teams was disqualified.

It's good news for Greensward, who were desperately unlucky to finish one point outside the qualifying trio in the regional event at St Albans.

The national finals are being staged at Tadcaster Grammar School, Yorkshire, and local teams have an excellent chance of success after Southend High for Boys provided the first ever south-east Essex victory last year.

That came in the junior boys where they will again be among the favourites for gold this time.

In 1999 Southend High for Girls took third place in the junior event and they will again be fancied for a strong finish.

In the intermediate girls, Southend's opposition includes the strong Fitzwimarc, Rayleigh, team who emerged victorious in the regional competition.

Southend High also go looking for honours in the intermediate boys.

Off to Yorkshire - the Southend High for Girls teams heading north in search of two titles.

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

(Left) Running into form - the FitzWimarc girls have high hopes of intermediate glory. Left to right: Sophie Gahagan (14), Annie Lingard (14), Laura Myers (14), Lindsey Nash (14), Louise Keenlyside (13) and Nikita Aspinell (13).

Picture: NICK ANSELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.