St ALBANS Cricket Club Captain Philip Caley will be touring Australia next year with 15 other lucky amateur players selected by the Club Cricket Conference to take on their counterparts down under.

First, though, there is the small matter of this Sunday's 24-hour bat-a-thon at the Shenley Cricket Centre in Radlett Lane.

The cricket extravaganza will also be raising funds for the Lords' Taverners, as well as next year's tour, and will be attended by a host of celebrities from the showbiz and cricketing worlds.

The batting marathon, which will hopefully see participants enter the Guinness Book of Records, will be followed on Bank Holiday Monday with a match between the Banbury XI and Lashings CC. Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.

The match, which starts at 11am, will include cricketing greats Brian Lara and Mike Gatting and Radio 1's Jamie Theakston.

For more information, call Roger Chown on 020 8949 6551.