Mick Jones can use his experience to bow out on a high at the Commonwealth Games next March.

That is the belief of chairman of selectors Chris Carter after naming the 42-year-old in the England team alongside fellow Sussex veteran Julia Bennett yesterday.

They join Crawley duo Gavin Thompson and Nick Buckfield and Brighton and Hove City's Claire Smithson who were already assured of their place in the 81-strong team before it was announced by Carter at a press conference in London.

Jones was a surprise winner of the gold medal in the hammer at the 2002 Games in Manchester and Carter sees no reason why lightning cannot strike in the same place twice.

The Brighton and Hove City chairman said: "Mick's first Commonwealth Games was back in 1986 but he says he is as up for it now as he was back then.

"It was an easy decision to pick Mick in the end despite his age. He has got the qualifying distance, is number two in the rankings by a long way and is the defending champion.

"Obviously age can be a factor but hammer throwing is not as much a young man's event as some others.

Instead it is one where experience and technique holds you in great stead.

"I don't think it is impossible that Mick could win the gold medal again. He is easily good enough to make the final and once you get there anything can happen."

Jones has had a difficult season after being toppled from the top of the UK rankings for the first time inseven years by his young protege, Andy Frost.

Defeat to Frost at the AAAs Championship back in July - his first at the event for nine years - meant the Crawley thrower had to wait until this week to have his place in the England team confirmed.

Now he is definitely on the plane to Melbourne Jones is already planning the defence of his Commonwealth title.

"I found out on Monday evening that I was in the team and the next day I started my preparations for Melbourne," said Jones. "I was delighted when I was told. It will be my fifth Commonwealth Games and it is things like these that keep you going.

"I never took my place in the team for granted but I would have been extremely disappointed to miss out because I promised that if I won in Manchester that I would carry on to defend my title. Now I can do that.

"Some people may look at my age and question whether I should be going but these kind of championships are won by the best competitor and I have always been a great competitor.

"This is likely to be my last major championships so it would be great to finish on a high but if I go on to win I might be tempted to go on for another four years to defend it again."

For Bennett her inclusion brought to an end 12 years of frustration since her one and only appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Canada.

The high jumper from Haywards Heath was ruled out of the 1998 Games with an appendix problem and then was one centimetre short of qualifying for Manchester in 2002.

Bennett, who teaches at Cardinal Newman School in Hove, said: "There was a big smile on my face when I got the call. It is a great reward for all the hard work I have put in over the years and eases the disappointment of missing out on the last two."

While it was good news for Bennett and Jones there was disappointment for the other Sussex hopefuls as Tim Bayley, Rachel Ogden, Andrew obinson and Joel Kidger were all overlooked.