The traditional printed version was losing the county money, so a new, electronic version will be unveiled this year.

The main reason for the change over - according to county PRO Lawrence Smyth - is cost control.

"The cost of the printed book when set against total sales to date, did not justify the outlay - there was a financial loss in 2007, with a further projected financial loss for 2008," he wrote in an email to all clubs.

"Losing county money is not an acceptable or an ongoing option. There will no longer be inordinate pressure upon clubs to buy a mandatory number of 'hardback copies', irrespective of financial circumstances," he said.

India's sights on crushing victory

CRICKET:Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma wrecked Australia's top order to leave India on the verge of a big win in the second Test in Mohali yesterday.

Australia were 141 for five at stumps on day four after India set an improbable, 516-run fourth innings victory target, giving themselves four-and-a-half sessions to seize a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

At the close of play, Michael Clarke (42 not out) and Brad Haddin (37 not out) were waging a grim battle after adding 83 runs for an unbroken, sixth-wicket stand.

Off-spinner Harbhajan took three for 23 and Sharma two for 29 as half the batsmen fell before the 17th over.

Led by opener Gautam Gambhir's 104, India raced to 314-3 before stand-in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to end the innings one hour after lunch.

Formula One teams to cut costs

MOTOR SPORT:Formula One teams will in future gain their competitive edge from new technology rather than expensive engines, FIA president Max Mosley has said.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) head, who will meet the Formula One Teams Association in Geneva today to discuss urgent cost-cutting measures, highlighted the importance of the kinetic energy recovery system (Kers) as one such example.

"Kers will be essential on all road-going vehicles in the future, irrespective of their means of primary propulsion," said Mosley.

"This will give Formula One far more relevance and credibility than the use of vastly expensive racing engines or extremely light and sophisticated gearboxes, both of which are irrelevant to modern road transport."

FIA intended to change the rules to force the 10 teams to use a standardised engine from 2010.

Two-year ban for Russians

ATHLETICS:Twice world 1,500 metres champion Tatyana Tomashova was one of seven Russian female athletes to receive a two-year ban yesterday for manipulating drug samples, the Russian athletics federation (RAF) said.

Along with Tomashova, world indoor 1,500 metres champion Yelena Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva and former world 5,000 metres champion Olga Yegorova were banned.

"All seven women were found guilty and thus were banned for two years," RAF president Valentin Balakhnichyov said.

The International Association of Athletics Federations suspended the seven women in July and banned them from competing in Beijing.

Rowers go for Atlantic record

ROWING:Four Irish rowers, along with 10 oarsmen from around Britain, will set off from Puerto Mogan in Gran Canaria on New Year's Eve in an attempt to smash the Guinness World Record for the fastest row east to west across the Atlantic.

The record is 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes.

Not only are the 14-man crew of La Mondiale attempting to break the record, they are also aiming to become the first ocean rowing crew to complete the crossing in 31 days or less - the "four-minute mile" of ocean rowing.

The crew consists of a mix of Irish, English, Scottish and Faroese oarsmen.

The skipper of the voyage is Edinburgh's Leven Brown.

In January, Peter Williams, Breffny Morgan (both from Cork), Robert Byrne and Ryan Corcoran (both from Bray) will aim to strip Galway's Ray Carroll of his record and go one better — aiming to be part of the first crew to row an ocean in one calendar month.

GAELIC GAMES:Antrim are set to unveil an online yearbook in an attempt to stem the influence of the credit crunch on local GAA supporters.