MELANIE Purkiss hopes to recapture the form of 2002 when she turns out for Team Solent at Hendon on Saturday in the UK Women's League.

The 25-year-old from Otterbourne announced her arrival on the British 400 metres scene in the same competition two years ago by setting a storming personal best of 52.99 seconds.

Although Purkiss went on to clinch selection for the Commonwealth Games that year, striking silver for England in the 4x400 metres relay, she lost momentum last summer and would dearly like to get it back in time for next month's Olympic trials in Manchester (July 10/11) where she hopes to bag a relay berth for Athens.

Purkiss, doubling up this weekend with another 400m run in Sunday's Loughborough International, has started the season in promising style.

Having cruised to a 53.76 victory at last month's Hampshire Championships, she gave European Under-23 champion Helen Karagounis a run for her money in Monday's Inter-Counties final at Bedford.

Whereas Karagounis tied up in the last few strides after a storming first 200m, Purkiss ran her race in reverse, finding fresh legs down the home straight to finish in 53.72 seconds behind the winner's 53.32 Championship best.

Purkiss reflected: "The time wasn't fantastic but there are always pluses and minuses to take from races and having spoken to Todd (coach Todd Bennett), he was happy with how strong I came back in the last 200m, particularly against someone as strong as Helen.

"I've been running quite a few 200s in training and consistently clocking 23.8 or 23.9, so the speed is there - it's just a matter of putting it all together before the trials. I've got six weeks and quite a few races in between before I go away for a week's training in Portugal."

Purkiss's performances helped Hampshire's women to fifth place in the Inter-Counties Bedford Plate competition.

Javelin ace Katy Watts was also a runner-up with a 46.43m throw behind Goldie Sayers' championship best of 60.10, while fellow Basingstoke athlete Helena Tobin won the 800m in 2.09.80.

Hampshire's men finished seventh in the Achilles Trophy competition, Isle of Wight hammer man Andy Frost winning with a 68.73-metre throw.

Purkiss's training partner Robert Tobin - brother of Helena - outgunned fellow Briton Jared Deacon in England's international match again Hungary, Wales, Norway and Serbia in Szombathely, Hungary, last weekend.

Tobin, of the Basingstoke & Mid Hants club and a Southampton University student, again broke the 47-second barrier with a winning time of 46.97. Deacon was second in 47.06.

Team Solent's Angus Maclean continued his fine burst of early-season 1500m form by finishing second to Irish international James McIlroy in the British Milers' Grand Prix in Solihull. Maclean edged out Mick McCormack for second spot with both athletes given identical times of 3.42.6.

Maclean's training partner Rod Finch won the 3000m in eight minutes 30 seconds representing the Combined Services at Loughborough University.

UK Inter-County Track & Field Championships. Team results:

Women's Bedford Plate: 1 Essex 88.0, 2 Surrey 71.0, 3 Middlesex 68.0, 5 Hampshire 43.5

Men's Achilles Trophy: 1 Yorkshire 93, 2 Middlesex 85.5, 3 Essex 78, 7 Hampshire 36.

Hampshire highlights

Women:

100m: Sam Vaile (6th heat) 12.70

200m: Ria Lewis (5th heat) 26.42

400m: Melanie Purkiss (2nd) 53.72

800m: Helena Tobin (1st) 2.09.80

1,500m: Ceri Mitchell (6th) 4.38.09

5,000m: Rachel Townend (9th) 18.13.73

400m hurdles: Louise Douglass (7th) 66.16

1,500m steeplechase: Bryony Frost (3rd) 4.58.9

High jump: Sharon Woolwich (7th) 1.55

Triple jump: Sharon Woolrich (11th) 10.22

Pole vault: Clare Ridgley (13th) 3.00

Shot put: Sara Darts (9th) 8.09

Discus: Sara Darts (12th) 29.19

Javelin: Katy Watts (2nd) 46.43

Hammer: Amy Church (13th) 38.27

Men

800m: Paul Laslett (4th heat)

Mile: Lee Merrien (4th) 4.14.77

5,000m: Jonathan Blackledge (10th) 14.56.4

3,000m walk: Nick Ball (5th) 12.54.73

High jump: Dan Turner (4th) 2.00

Triple jump: Martin Rossiter (4th) 15.19

Shot put: Grant Sprigins (no throw)

Discus: Rafer Joseph (13th) 44.84

Javelin: Patrick Boundy (13th) 59.59

Hammer: Andy Frost (1st) 68.73