Davenport leads England 1-2 in 200m free

MELBOURNE, Mar 17 (Reuters) Ross Davenport led an England one-two in the men's 200 metres freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games today.

Davenport snatched the gold in one minute 47.29 seconds ahead of his team mate Simon Burnett, who touched in 1:47.38.

Canada's Brent Hayden collected the bronze in 1:47.71.

The first four finishers were separated by just 0.15 seconds after one of the closest races of the Games.

The event had been thrown wide open after Australia's world record holder Ian Thorpe pulled out of the Games last week with a mystery illness.

Thorpe, whose record stands at 1:44.06, watched the race unfold from the stands where he had been sitting next to U.S.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

England also won gold and silver in the men's 50m backstroke earlier in the evening with Matthew Clay just pipping his English training partner Liam Tancock.

REUTERS DH DS1602