A STRING of Great Britain internationals, including a crop of UK top-ranked throwers, a Nigerian Olympian and one of the supermodels of the national track and field scene, have all been named in a powerful Woodford Green with Essex Ladies squad for their visit to the island later this month. The 2005 British League champions have underlined their determination to win the Blue Islands British Challenge Cup from British Cup title-holders Birchfield Harriers and a GIAAC Select by naming a powerful 30-strong squad.

‘Woodford Green were asked to give us a team of the standard equivalent to that they would field in a British League match and they have lived up to their side of the bargain,’ said a delighted match organiser, Rob Batiste.

‘Birchfield’s team will be confirmed in the next few days but already it seems fairly certain the island all-comers’ record lists are in for a hammering,’ he added.

Topping the star names from Woodford Green is Sarah Claxton, the UK number one sprint hurdler who is part of the British team at this week’s European Championships in Gothen-burg.

Claxton, who is also ranked sixth in the country for the long jump which she will double-up for at Foote’s Lane on 28 August, is set for a potentially mouth-watering clash over 100m hurdles with fellow British star Kelly Sotherton and Guernsey’s own rising star, Kylie Robilliard.

‘Sotherton has yet to confirm in which events she will represent Birchfield Harriers in Guernsey, but there is every indication she will be coming,’ said Batiste.

Woodford Green also include three throwers ranked either one or two in the country this year.

They are Andy Frost, number one and national champion in the hammer, Emeka Udechecku, ranked two in both the shot and discus, and Joanne Duncan, the country’s top-ranked shot putter.

The support cast is impressive, too.

Jeanette Kwayke is ranked seven in the UK for 100m with a season’s best of 11.44 – half-a-second inside the island all-comers’ record.

In the 400m they propose to use Nigerian Olympian Mariam Majuwa and in the 1,500m the highly-rated Jo Fenn is included.

Before injury struck her down last season, Fenn won a world indoors 800m bronze in 2004, finishing behind Maria Mutola. She also competed in the Athens Olympics.

Fenn recently began her comeback from injury and is already showing signs of getting back to her best.

On the men’s side, the pick of the crop is 400m hurdler Francis Smith, a regular adversary of Dale Garland, and 800m runner Chris Reynolds, a 1-47 man this season.

‘Woodford’s team is such that Adam Potter, who came here with Bath and holds the island all-comers’ bests for 100 and 200, can only make their relay squads,’ said Batiste.

‘I have no doubt there will be the odd injury and withdrawal between now and the bank holiday clash in three weeks, but Woodford are committed to sending their best available team. Whoever they send will provide a lot of entertainment for what we hope is a big crowd,’ he added.

The organisers also report an ever-increasing and impressive guest list.

‘Julie Crane, the second-best high jumper in the UK, is on her way for the match and the Garenne Dream Mile has been boosted by agreements to run from Gareth Price and Jamie Thie, the latter the 2006 AAA indoor 3km champion who competed at this year’s Commonwealths.

‘Both are 3-41 runners this season and are ranked above our own Lee Merrien.’