Much like long jumper Arantxa King hours before him, middle distance runner Michael Donawa found his Commonwealth Games rivals just a tad too good at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

Competing in the third of three heats in the 800 metres, and needing a top two finish or one of the fastest losers' times in order to qualify for tonight's final, Donawa trailed home sixth and last.

Something of surprise package among all those who qualified for these Games, having spent most of his athletic career running in the shadow of elder brother Jay, the 28-year-old reportedly reached the required standard with a time of one minute, 52.06 seconds at a meet in Boston.

But even that was one of the slowest qualifying times among a top class field of Africans, and in the slowest of last night's three heats Donawa failed to match his personal best, crossing the line in 1:54.65.

He hung on gamely in a tactical first lap but when the leaders made their move with 200 metres to go, Donawa was unable to respond, dropping some 20 metres back.

Trinidad's Sheridan Kirk hit the line first in 1:49.11 followed by Kenya's Cosmas Rono in 1:49.33.

Earlier in heat one, Kenyan John Litei Nkamasiai demolished the field with a lightning fast 1:46.55, with Canada's Achraf Tadili taking second in 1:47.67. Heat two saw another Kenyan, Alex Kipchirchir Rono, lead the field home in 1:46.96 ahead of Australia's Nicholas Bromley (1:47.74).

Bermuda's two high jumpers, Latroya Darrell and Zindzi Swan, are the last of Bermuda's five track and field athletes to see action when they compete in tonight's straight final.