Marlon Devonish is hoping a little help from his pals Mark Lewis-Francis and Matt Shirvington will see him challenge for another Commonwealth Games medal in Melbourne.

The 29-year-old is completing preparations for his third successive Games appearance Down Under with his English and Australian rivals, who although eager to help and test each other on the training track, are equally focused on Games glory.

The Coventry Godiva athlete still savours the achievement of his sterling performance in Manchester when he chased Frankie Fredericks across the line to claim the 200 metres silver medal.

Devonish might not have been able enough to match the speed on home English territory of Namibia's former world champion but he did finish two strides ahead of the more fancied Darren Campbell, his English team-mate and Olympic runner-up at the distance, who was competing in the city of his birth.

Now almost four years later, Devonish is adamant he will be in even better shape when he contests both the 100m and 200m in Melbourne.

The Midlander, who trains under Tony Lester in Windsor, is equally convinced he can also help Team England defend their 4x100m relay title.

However, Devonish is under no illusions as to the quality of the field in the short sprint, which is set to be the highlight of the track and field programme.

World-record holder Asafa Powell, of Jamaica, is due to line up and there will also be four of last summer's World Championships finalists taking their place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"The 100m is going to be something special, a really, really, fast race," said Devonish who travelled Down Under just before the end of January, knowing he faces a momentous challenge.

But there is plenty of fighting spirit in his make-up, as he brilliantly showed with a blistering third leg at the 2004 Olympic Games when Team GB won the 4x100m relay gold medal.

Devonish ran a superb final bend and handed over the baton with an invaluable one-metre lead to Lewis-Francis, who hung on to shock the allegedly invincible USA 'Dream Team'.

To this day Devonish still admits the unforgettable victory rekindled faith in his own ability, after injury problems saw him fail to earn selection for the individual sprint races in the Greek capital.

Devonish has no hesitation in pointing out the addition of Lewis-Francis and Shirvington to his training team under Lester last autumn has been beneficial to all three men.

"We will be basing ourselves in Sydney and I'll link up with Shirvo who started training with us last November and Mark Lewis-Francis," said Devonish.

"It was a good education and I'm really excited about running the 100 and 200 metres at the Commonwealths," insisted Devonish, although he failed to reach either of last year's World finals.

"On reflection it was probably wrong to have doubled up for the World Championships," conceded Devonish.

"I found myself throughout the summer chasing first the 200 then 100 metres qualifying times.

"Every race before the championships was taking a lot out of me. What with that and training, I was feeling pretty rundown."

However, Devonish believes the fact he secured the qualifying times last year has altered his approach to attempting both races at the Commonwealths.

Devonish said: "I got the qualifiers last summer which took away all of the pressure of rushing around Europe.

"So for the Commonwealths, everything is different and I am hoping I can repeat my 200m medal performance of Manchester.

"That is my target while, of course, there is also the 100 and relay."

Despite his own personal ambitions, Devonish is hoping he will still have enough strength to claim a third successive relay gold medal.

"If I am picked for the relay again it's going to be an awesome race," said Devonish, who was part of the Norwich Union GB squad pipped for silver by Trinidad in Helsinki last summer.

"There'll be Jason (Gardener), MLF and myself from the worlds available for the team, but even with that strength in the squad it is going to be a very tough task.

"But a lot will depend on what shape I am in after the sprint races."