YOU won't find too many Australians drawing inspiration from the England cricket team at the moment, but Craig Mottram is hoping the success of Michael Vaughan's men can spur him to victory in tomorrow's Great North Run.

The 25-year-old, a 5,000m bronze medallist in last month's World Championships, is one of the favourites for the men's race as the world's biggest half-marathon celebrates its 25th anniversary tomorrow.

But, if he is to be first across the finish line at South Shields, he will have to break a stranglehold as strong as that exerted by Australia's cricketers.

Just as it had been 16 years since England lost the Ashes at the start of the summer, so it will be 16 years since a non-African won the Great North Run if another of that continent's long-distance stars breaks the tape tomorrow.

"People have been ribbing me about the Ashes all week but, in many ways, it was good news that England won them," said Mottram, who was born in Victoria to English parents.

"Cricket needed some competition at the highest level. It's great for the game, great for the fans, and people are already talking about the next series.

"I can draw a definite comparison to the position I'm in with athletics. The Africans have dominated distance running for so long now that people are desperate for me to do well."

This year's African contingent is headed by last year's winner, Ethiopian Dejene Berhanu and the runner-up from 12 months ago, South African Hendrik Ramaala.

It is now 23 years since the event had a British winner - local hero Mike McLeod won the first two races in 1981 and 1982 - and home interest tomorrow will focus on an intriguing battle between John Mayock and perennial nearly-man Jon Brown.

Mayock, who retired from track athletics after claiming a silver medal in this year's European Indoor Championships, is hoping to overhaul British number one Brown, a runner who has finished fourth in two Olympic marathons.

"I am no longer a full-time athlete, I have a young family and I have to fit in my two sessions a day between my work schedule," said Mayock, who finished three places behind Brown in last year's race.

"But this has given me a new challenge for the future. The pace-setters will be running at sub-one hour pace and that would burn me off. But, if possible I want to beat Jon Brown."

Brown, now based in Canada, has dominated the British rankings for more than half a decade and is not about to concede his crown without a fight.

"Watching what John does will be interesting," he admitted. "I've been in touch with him and talked to him about stepping up to the bigger distances. Maybe he's left it a little bit late to make a real impact in marathon running."

* Three of the North-East's leading distance runners will be chasing top-20 places.

Great Britain internationals Ian Hudspith and Andy Caine will be joined by England cross country representative Martin Scaife.

Caine, who won the North-East ten-mile road race title for the second year in succession two weeks ago, is determined to improve on his 14th position last year, when he was the region's first finisher in 65 mins 30 secs.

The Loughborough-based athlete said: "I will try to run a more sensible race this time.

"Last year I went off hard and then had a bad patch in the middle of the race.

"This time I'll try to be a bit more conservative early on."

Morpeth clubmates Hudspith and Scaife will be renewing their friendly rivalry on the roads after sharing the honours in their last two contests.

Hudspith beat Scaife in the big Auckland Castle 10K last month, when both runners were members of the North-East team which won the Inter Counties title and the Morpeth team which took the honours in the AAA championship.

But Scaife finished in 11th place in the Cardiff 10K, nine places ahead of Hudspith as they helped the North to a medal winning position in the team race.

Hudspith was disappointed with his performance in Wales and now the former AAA half marathon champion is looking for a better showing in the Great North Run.

Hudspith's best placing in the race was eighth in 1995 in a time of 64.30 and he hopes to run faster tomorrow.

Scaife, four times winner of the Darlington 10K, is hoping to break on to the half-marathon scene, encouraged by his Chester-le-Street-based coach, Ian Bloomfield, a former Great Britain marathon international.

North Shields Polytechnic's Hannah Wooton was the North-East's first woman last year in 19th place in a time of 80 mins 15 secs, and hopes to lead the way again.

She was 23 seconds faster than Darlington over-35 Alison Raw, who has had some recent eye-catching road race performances in her build up, including a victory in the New Marske Autumn Coast Road 5K this month.

She will be joined by clubmate Bernadette Taylor, the reigning North-East half marathon and senior women's cross country champion, who won this year's Darlington 10K.

Other leading North-East women competitors include the fast-improving Sunderland Harrier Louise Noble, winner of recent 10K races at Hetton and Billingham, Northern junior cross country champion Aiveen Fox, and prolific competitor Judith Nutt, of Elswick.