Team England has announced an experienced 12-strong netball squad to compete at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

It includes six players who were members of England's bronze medal winning squad at the Kuala Lumpur Games four years ago.

They are captain Olivia Murphy, vice captain Amanda Newton, former skipper Fiona Murtagh, who has come out of retirement from international netball to compete at the Commonwealths, Karen Aspinall, Naomi Siddall and Tracey Neville, sister of Manchester United footballers Gary and Phil Neville.

England's squad for the Games also includes a pair of talented young players in the shape of 17-year-old Team Bath Force players Geva Mentor and Pamela Cookey.

The England players know they will have to be at their best if they are going to better the team's performance four years ago.

All of the world's strongest netball nations are in the Commonwealth and will compete at the Games, making it an unofficial world championships.

Australia, the current Commonwealth Games champions, start as favourites, with New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa and Fiji also expected to provide stiff opposition.

Waimarama Taumaunu, England's National Netball Performance Director and Assistant Coach of the England team, said: "We have picked the people who are playing the best netball in the country at the moment.

"We are aiming to win a medal, but the quality of the opposition is better than it was at Kuala Lumpur and I think the difference between first and fifth at Manchester will only be a couple of goals."

The England netball squad flies out to Australia on Wednesday for a 10-day tour that will see them play seven matches against some tough competition, including two games against an Australia line-up and two against top National League teams.

England play against Canada, Sri Lanka, Wales and New Zealand in the group stage of the Commonwealth Games.

The full Team England netball squad for Manchester 2002 is:

(format is name/date of birth/home/county & Super Cup team)

Olivia Murphy (Captain) 24.4.77/Burton-on-Trent, Staffs/Derbyshire & Northern

Flames

Amanda Newton (Vice Captain) 8.4.77/Stratford, London/Essex Met & Northern

Thunder

Alex Astle 19.3.72/Mansfield/Derbyshire & Birmingham Blaze

Abby Teare 25.5.77/Chiswick/Middlesex & London Hurricanes

Jo Steed 20.3.75/London/Middlesex & Petchey London Tornadoes

Fiona Murtagh 30.4.67/Chingford/Essex Met & Petchey London Tornadoes

Naomi Siddall 2.4.75/Farnborough/Middlesex & London Hurricanes

Geva Mentor 17.9.84/Bournemouth/Gloucestershire & Team Bath Force

Sonia Mkoloma 17.1.79/London/ Middlesex & Petchey London Tornadoes

Tracey Neville 21.1.77/Bury/Greater Manchester & Northern Thunder

Pamela Cookey 2.9.84/Milton Keynes/Gloucestershire & Team Bath Force

Karen Aspinall 7.6.78/Leicester/Derbyshire & Birmingham Blaze

Ann Hogbin, Chef de Mission of Team England, said: "The world's top

netball teams will be at Manchester 2002, so England's players will

have to be at their best at the Games. I would like to welcome them

to the growing Team England family and wish them a very successful

Commonwealth Games."

Netball action gets underway on 26th July, with the final on 4th

August. All netball matches are at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

Sport England has invested £3.5 million of lottery funding

specifically to boost Team England's medal prospects at the

Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.