ISLE OF WIGHT-born Darren Mew has been confirmed as one of 42 swimmers listed on the provisional England team sheet for the Commonwealth Games.

Mew, who will be one of England's strongest medal contenders in the 50 and 100m breaststroke at Manchester in July, made himself an automatic selection after winning the 50m final in the trials on Sunday and clocking the qualifying time.

But four Portsmouth Northsea swimmers who were not automatic selections are also nominated - along with 18-year-old Holly Fox, who comes from Ringwood but now trains with City of Glasgow following her coach's move north from Reading last autumn.

The Portsmouth quartet are Katy Sexton, who will be defending the 200m backstroke title she won in Kuala Lumpur, her fellow Sydney Olympians Margaretha Pedder and Simon Militis, and 20-year-old Caroline Smart, a Dorset girl who joined the Hampshire club last year.

England selectors have warned that the swimmers are only "nominations" at this stage and that the team will not be confirmed until May when divers - including Southampton's Peter Waterfield - have completed their qualifying events.

If the number of divers turns out to exceed current expectations, the number of swimmers may have to be reduced. And, if that happens, Smart - clearly a borderline selection after finishing no higher than third in the trials - could be among those whose place is under threat.

Mew, 22, who trains with the University of Bath national performance squad, will have no such worries. He has been regularly trading records with arch-rival James Gibson of Loughborough University and the two are expected to be battling for the gold and silver medals in July.

Pedder, Sexton and Militis also look secure after qualifying in the butterfly, backstroke and backstroke respectively. Pedder completed her programme with a silver medal in the 200m butterfly last night, one place ahead of Smart. Their times were 2min 12.15sec and 2:13.54.

British record holder Georgina Lee of Camphill Edwardians took the gold in 2:10.59.