BEN Watson was delighted to secure a superb sixth place in the +105kg weightlifting at his second Commonwealth Games, writes STUART WEIR.

The Didcot athlete, who trains at St Birinus Weightlifting Club, delivered a strong display in the Carrara Sports Arena on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Watson, who won bronze in the 105kg category four years ago, found his preparation to be hampered by a stress fracture in his shin, while he moved up a bodyweight division.

The 28-year-old lifted 155kg on his first snatch, before improving to 160kg to sit fifth.

Watson then clean and jerked 192kg to post 352kg overall.

He said: "I’m feeling good.  

"I really enjoyed it out there on the platform.  

"I was really pleased with the weights I lifted. Two personal bests – I am chuffed with that."

Watson added: "After Glasgow, I did not train for two-and-a-half years because I had a stress fracture in my shin that would not heal so I only re-started training in 2017.

"By then Owen Boxall (who won bronze in the 105kg category) was doing so well that I felt my best chance of getting to the Games was as a super-heavyweight. 

"So after the injury, my whole aim was to get to the Games rather than to win medals."

Watson's coach Philip Karlsson said: “In view of his lack of training, I regard 2018 as a better performance than his bronze medal in 2014.

"He is not big enough to be a super-heavyweight and is giving away a lot of weight to his opponents.

"Making the Commonwealth team was a great achievement."

In the basketball, Upper Heyford’s Stefanie Collins featured as England lost 118-55 to Australia at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.

They finished third in Pool A and now face Jamaica in tomorrow's quarter-finals at 9.30am BST.

Wallingford hockey coach Owain Dolan-Gray is also in action as Wales face England (5.32) in their final Pool B game.