CANTERBURY Hockey Club will have three representatives at next month’s Commonwealth Games after Mel Clewlow and Cathy Gilliat-Smith were named in the England women’s squad.

The pair, announced in a 16-strong party on Tuesday, join clubmate Jen Wilson, who will play for South Africa, but there was disappointment for keeper Becky Duggan, who was overlooked in favour of Carolyn Reid (Hightown) and Beth Storry (Hurley).

A veteran of two previous Commonwealth Games, 29-year-old Clewlow is the most capped player in the England squad, while Gilliat-Smith will be making her first Games appearance. The forward, who joined last summer from Ipswich, will turn 25 while the team are in Melbourne.

Clewlow has two Commonwealth silvers, from Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and Manchester in 2002, and admits she is delighted to have a third stab at winning gold.

The experienced defender, who has 142 England caps, said: "Australia are the favourites but I think there are four other countries all of whom are capable of making the final, and we’re one of them.

"Of the 16 in the squad, eight of us played in Manchester and the good thing is that everyone gets along with each other which is important."

England are in a group with New Zealand, Scotland, Barbados and Canada, against whom they open their campaign on Friday, March 17.

Australia, South Africa, India, Malaysia and Nigeria make up the other pool with the top two in each group going through to the semi-finals.