FOUR Basingstoke athletes have been given the chance of a place in the England team at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Each of the Basingstoke and Mid-Hants quartet has been invited to contest the Commonwealth Games trials at the new Manchester arena on June 14 to 16.

Phil Tulba will compete in the 800 metres and Robert Tobin, who is only 18, in the 400m. They will be joined by 21-year-old throwers Joan MacPherson and Katy Watts.

Discus, shot and hammer thrower MacPherson, who is trying to recover from a niggling back muscle injury, completed a title double at the Hampshire championships a fortnight ago, winning both the shot and discus.

At the same meeting at Portsmouth, Watts became the Hampshire women's javelin champion, although the international is disappointed that she has not been throwing in competition what she is able to in training.

Each of the athletes was invited to try for Games places in Manchester at the end of July because of their rankings last summer.

MacPherson was rated third in the under-23 discus standings and sixth senior in Britain. Watts was the fourth-ranked under-23 javelin thrower in Britain.

Tobin, who was ranked 16th among the one-lap runners in Britain last year, continues to better his best times.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to it and my training is going really well. I've managed to steer clear of injury so far. It should be good."

After running at the under-20 South of England championships at Watford, he turns to the senior event next weekend.

MacPherson, who has just completed her studies at Brunel University along with Watts, said of her selection: "I was quite surprised because I didn't think I would get selected as a senior. It gives me something to work for this year."

She was testing her injury at the Inter Counties Championships at Bedford at the weekend.

Not only will the trials be a dress rehearsal for the new facilities at Manchester, but also for the people who will officiate at the Games as they are in charge of the trials.