Judo: Howey stunned as Lowe wins Commonwealth Games place

Britain's Olympic middleweight silver medallist, Kate Howey, has been named as a reserve for the English team at the Commonwealth Games, second to a young fighter, Samantha Lowe, who has yet to win a major international event.

The English team have not been officially announced, but news leaked out following letters sent to players. Dennis Stewart, the English team manager, said: "The criteria we set depended on results in certain competitions, and Samantha did better."

Howey, a bronze medallist at the World Championships last year, was not available for comment, but close friends said she was "gobsmacked".

Among the other unexpected choices, the heavyweight Karina Bryant, a former European champion, is also on the reserve bench, while the light heavyweight Michelle Rogers was selected as top choice despite not having fought at her weight in a major event for more than a year.