Despite huge success in the boxing ring and swimming pool, England suffered more major tournament disappointment with their sprinters on the athletics track.

The five golds and eight medals in the ring may well be the success story of the Games for England and certainly bodes well for the future of amateur boxing back home.

Eight golds, 11 silvers and four bronze in the pool also sets down a solid base for success in the Beijing Olympics in two years' time.

But the poor state of English sprinting was highlighted by a calamitous performance in the MCG.

It was a dismal Games for the sprinters as they come home with no medals, only Marlon Devonish made the 100m final and there was no British representative in the 200m final for the first time since 1966.

Mark Lewis-Francis was disqualified for a false start, Darren Campbell received the same fate for running out of his lane and in the 4x100m relay the duo were part of the team that failed to get the baton round.

And if that was not bad enough after the women's 4x400m team appeared to claim the gold they too were disqualified when Natasha Danvers-Smith was accused of impeding Australia's Tamsyn Lewis at the start of the third leg.

But England did enjoy some success inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Dean Macey and Kelly Sotherton led the gold rush.

Macey, despite battling a hamstring injury, took gold in the decathlon with Sotherton living up to favouritism in the heptathlon.

And on the final evening Nick Nieland in the javelin and triple jumper Phillips Idowu claimed Commonwealth titles to add to the track golds for Lisa Dobriskey in the 1,500m and Christine Ohuruogu, the anchor of the ill-fated 4x400m relay team, in the 400m.

In the ring, Frankie Gavin wrapped up his expected lightweight gold and Liverpool super-heavyweight David Price completed England's golden night with a thoroughly convincing stoppage win over Welshman Kevin Evans.

Don Broadhurst set the ball rolling with flyweight gold and Liverpool 20-year-old Stephen Smith grabbed the bragging rights over his elder brother Paul by snaring gold in the featherweight category.

Jamie Cox picked up light-welterweight gold without even having to fight as Moses Kopo of Lesotho failed the pre-fight medical.

Chris Cook led the swimming success, taking Commonwealth titles in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

Rebecca Cooke defended her 800m freestyle crown while Matt Clay and Liam Tancock were successful in 50m and 100m backstroke respectively.

Simon Burnett took gold in the 100m freestyle and Ross Davenport the 200m freestyle and both were part of the successful 4x200m freestyle team.

In cycling, Paul Manning led home England's only 1-2-3 of the Games in the men's individual pursuit and was part of the men's team pursuit side.

Victoria Pendleton won the women's sprint and Liam Killeen gold in the mountain bike race.

England ended the Games in style with two badminton gold medals on the final day of competition.

Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms recovered from a sluggish start to win the mixed doubles against second seeds Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen of New Zealand.

And Tracey Hallam completed a full set of Commonwealth medals with victory over Malaysia's Mew Choo Wong in the women's singles final

Peter Nicol, who won singles gold, and Lee Beachill then wrapped things up with squash doubles gold.

Veteran shoot Mick Gault became England's all-time most successful Commonwealth Games athletes taking his medal tally to 15 as a gold in the men's 25m standard pistol was among four Melbourne medals for the 51-year-old.