THE CANCELLATION of today's penultimate DP Furniture Express North-East Harrier League sets up a grandstand finish to the cross country season.

But defending senior men's team champions Sunderland will have to wait to see if their bid to win the Sisterton Cup for a 15th time in 16 years will be decided on count-back.

The Wearsiders, who have won two of the three previous fixtures are currently one point behind Morpeth Harriers after suffering a shock fourth-placing in the second meeting at Chester-le-Street.

But if they can beat the Northumbrians into second place for a third time in the final fixture at Prudhoe on March 19 they will draw level on points, and the championship would be shared or decided on the most victories, in which case Sunderland would retain the trophy.

"We will have an executive meeting to talk things over, but there is no chance of fitting in an extra meeting" said League secretary Audrey Ogle after Durham City Council cancelled the Meadowfield fixture on health and safety grounds following this week's snowstorms.

"We lost our last meeting at Chester-le-Street because of flooding and to lose another fixture has spoilt the whole season."

The Harrier League lost one meeting last year through bad weather and one had to be cancelled during the Foot and Mouth crisis.

Normally the team championships are based on the results of all six meetings, with the individual titles decided on the best four runs.

Only one senior man in the current top three now has the chance of completing four runs - defending champion Terry Wall, of Morpeth, the defending champion who has 27 points.

The League standings after three meetings are - Senior Men Division One: 1 Morpeth 5 pts; 2 Sunderland 6; 3 Wallsend 11. Division Two: 1 Gateshead 4; 2 Elswick 6; 3 Houghton and Peterlee 11. Division Three: 1 Jarrow & Hebburn 4; Claremont 8; Heaton 9. Individual Championship: 1 T Wall (Morpeth) 27 points from 3 races; 2 S Potts (Sunderland) 14-2; 3 T Lawrence (Newcastle University) 12-2. Veterans: 1 T Doughty (Sund) 30-3; 2 L Atkinson (Morp) 23-3; 3 P Merrison (Walls) 18-2.

Under-17 Men: 1 Houghton & Peterlee 7; 2 Tynedale 8; 3 Morpeth 11. Individuals: 1 J Young (Morp) 20-2; 2 T Carter (Walls) 16-3; 3= S Brewis (H&P) and A Colwell (Morp) 15-2.

Under-15 Boys: 1 Shildon 5; 2 Sunderland 8; 3 Morpeth 9. Individuals: 1 M Cochran (Morp) 26-3; 2 M Williams (Tynedale) 15-2; M Travis (Morp) 13.2.

Under-13 Boys: 1 Sunderland 4; 2 Gosforth 8; 3 Gateshead 13. Individuals: 1 T Venus (Tynedale) 30-3; 2 N Reed 25-3; 3 G Urwin (Tynedale) 19-3.

* Tomorrow's sixth and final North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier (NYSD) League meeting of the season at Richmond has been called off with league officials re-scheduling the fixture March 6. Host club Richmond and Zetland head the aggregate trophy table with 64.5 points from Scarborough (58) and Darlington (50).