The British team for the annual six nations junior international contest in Cadiz this weekend, includes two local swimmers in Matthew Bowden (Sedgefield), 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and Tara Johnson (Chester-le-Street) 400m and 800m freestyle, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

Also selected is Marie Jones (Stockport) 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, who has local connections through her mother, the former Darlington swimmer Jill Robson.

Britain has won this contest for the past two years and will be all out to complete a hat-trick, Germany won the previous five years.

Last weekend Matthew Bowden was in the GB Under-18 waterpolo team which put up a great performance in the Czech Republic winning all its three games, beating Poland 12-7 for the first time, the Czechs 12-6 and Austria 32-1 to easily win the tournament. Matthew was among the scorers with four goals.

His club mate Carol Mohan scored three times to help the NE Counties finish as runners-up in the ASA's women's inter-district competition. As a result, Carol has been invited to train with the senior squad. Next week Carol, along with fellow club members, Angie Winstanley-Smith, Samanatha Mitchell and Charlotte Nichols, will be training and playing matches with the BG junior and senior squads at Millfield.

Middlesbrough's Natasha Crawley and Andrew Thirlwell (Newcastle) top scored at the second of this year's four Northumberland and Durham championship galas at Middlesbrough. Natasha followed up her nine successes at the first gala at Newcastle with six wins in the junior and senior women's and girls 15yrs 50m butterfly, junior and 15yrs 100m breaststroke and 15yrs 200m individual medley. She was also runner-up in the junior and senior 200m individual medley and women's 100m breaststroke.

Andrew went nap in the junior and senior men's 400m freestyle, junior 50m butterfly, 100m and 200m individual medley. Joanne Jackson (Richmond), young sister of Olympian Nicola, scored a hat-trick in the women's 200m butterfly taking the 15yrs junior and senior titles. Caroline Saxby (Wear Valley) was first in the women's 400m freestyle with Tara Johnson (Chester-le-Street) in second place and keeping the junior title and also finishing first in the 15yrs section.

Wear Valley's Philip Wright won the men's 100m individual medley and 100m breaststroke with fellow club member Chris Wilson again getting the junior gold medal in the latter and also the senior silver. Angie Winstanley-Smith (Sedgefield) also had a double victory in the junior and senior women's 200m individual medley, club mate Charlotte Nichols retained the women's 100m breaststroke title.

Nick Jackson (Newcastle) successfully defended the men's 200m butterfly crown with club mate Richard Savage winning the 15yrs and junior titles, he was also the 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley winner. The top age grouper was Stephanie Proud (Chester-le-Street) with four successes in the 13yrs 50m and 400m freestyle, 200m and 400m individual medley while Chris Alderton (Wear Valley) 14yrs 100m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 400m individual medley scored a hat-trick.

The third round fixtures in the Durham and District Junior League are at Billingham tomorrow. In division one holders Newcastle meet Wear Valley, Sedgefield, Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Tynemouth. Division two: Stockton, Durham, Hartlepool, Derwentside, South Tyneside, Middlesbrough. Division three: Morpeth, Consett, Hebburn, Blyth, Billingham, Ashington.