NINE of the North-East's strongest arms are closing in on a £5,000 windfall.

But they will have to beat a landmark which has stood for 119 years to land the prize pot, in The Northern Echo's Greatest Throw on Earth contest.

The competition reaches a climax as part of the package of entertainment lined up for Durham Dynamos' floodlit Norwich Union League game against Hampshire Hawks, on Wednesday.

Nine qualifiers from three heats - staged at recent Dynamos' Norwich Union games - will battle it out, with just one throw each in the interval between innings at Durham's Riverside ground, in Chester-le-Street.

In front of a crowd of up to 4,000, and under the glare of the floodlights, the finalists are throwing for a first prize of a DVD player.

But should anyone beat the world record of 128.6 metres, (422ft), The Northern Echo will pay out £5,000 worse.

The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that the current record was set by Robert Percival, a left-hander on the Sands racecourse, alongside the River Wear in Durham, in April 1882.

Most of Wednesday's finalists are local league cricketers, including West Indian test bowler Franklyn Rose, this summer's professional with North-East Premier League club Sunderland.

He qualified from the second heat with a throw of 80.85 metres last month, but that was comfortably beaten by yesterday's final heat winner, Peter Gray.

The Darlington strong-arm became an instant favourite for Wednesday's final when he launched the ball 94.12 metres during the tea interval of yesterday's Dynamos' match against Derbyshire.

Despite recording the competition's longest throw, he believes he can do even better.

"It's not the best I've done. I have thrown 110 metres, but the problem with this competition is that you only have one throw.

"To throw my best, I would really need some warm up," said Peter, who will be looking for a practice area at the Riverside to build up to Wednesday's final.

Chris Rushworth, from Castletown, Sunderland, came second yesterday, with a throw of 85.79 metres, while Gateshead Harriers' javelin thrower Ian Burns, from Peterlee, finished third.

His throw of 78.46 metres was further than his best of about 70 metres with the javelin and enough to get him into the final.