By Ian Gordon, PA Sport

England's athletes gorged themselves on gold as they brought their Commonwealth Games to an extraordinary climax on Wednesday night.

The anthem Land of Hope and Glory had more airings than at the Last Night of the Proms as six times it rang out into the night air amid scenes of unforgettable drama in the City of Manchester Stadium.

The best was saved to last as the men's 4x400metres relay quartet denied their Welsh rivals the gold in one of the most thrilling and closest of finishes.

Kelly Holmes had sparked the rush to the victory podium with a storming win in the 1500metres and Ashia Hansen soon joined her as she retained her title with a last-gasp effort in the triple jump.

Darren Campbell's torso was just thick enough to bring the sprint relay quartet victory; unsung Michael East produced an upset in the 1500m before Steve Backley, the man with the golden arm, captured his third Commonwealth crown.

The golden finale after one of the most memorable nights in British athletics history in the magnificent £110million stadium took England's track and field medal tally to 12 - two more than Malaysia four years ago.

There was also one silver and four bronze medals to savour on the final night as the team finished with 29 in total.

That might be two fewer than the overall total from Kuala Lumpur but the medal charge on Wednesday night took England to top spot in the table - just one ahead of rivals Australia who had emerged triumphant in 1998.

If this is what staging a multi-sport event means then bring on the Olympics in 2012 - although whether London could come up with anything to match the sporting fervour witnessed in the north-west remains to be seen.

They got it in the men's 4x400m relay as England and Wales conjured up a battle that would not have been out of place at Twickenham or the National Stadium in Cardiff.

The day-glo haired Matt Elias produced the anchor leg of his life as he blasted his way from fourth with 150m to go to come up alongside England's Daniel Caines who had himself powered into the lead to the astonishment of his Jamaican rival.

Elias, who had won silver in the 400m hurdles, looked to have snatched a golden consolation for a Welsh team which had seen high hurdler Colin Jackson unexpectedly miss out the night before.

But after an inspection of the photo-finish England's quartet of Jared Deacon, Sean Baldock, Chris Rawlinson - who had denied Elias to take one-lap hurdles gold - and Caines were given victory by just 0.01secs.

Elias was distraught as the result flashed up and had to be consoled by team-mate Jamie Baulch who moments earlier had been doing flip-flops and pirouettes on the tarmac.

But after the medal ceremony the Welsh quartet that included Iwan Thomas and Tim Benjamin were doing 'dives' on the soggy infield to celebrate their fourth track silver of the Games.

Hayley Tullett had added the other earlier in the night when she finished second as Kelly Holmes recaptured her 1500m crown. As did Steve Backley, from whom it was a third Games success.

Hansen twice broke the Games record in the triple jump but had to do it a third time to retain her title with her final jump as she responded to a record-breaking leap from Cameroon's Francoise Mbango moments earlier.

Portsmouth's East upset Kenyan favourite Williams Chirchir to prove British athletes can win at middle-distance while Campbell's chest was enough to give the sprint relay team victory over Nigeria after both clocked the same time.

It was fitting that Campbell, the local lad who had been schooled on Moss Side and who had revealed after winning bronze in the 200m that he had considered suicide as his athletics career plumbed the depths, received the final medal.

The athletes and volunteers then staged an impromptu closing ceremony as they did a lap of honour with Tina Turner's 'Simply The Best' booming out.

It is not over yet, but Manchester 2002 is destined to be remembered as just that.