CLARE Strange helped Britain's wheelchair basketball side to reach the final of the Visa Paralympic World Cup in Manchester on Sunday.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in Radnage, was a key figure in the British team that scooped silver, losing 55-34 to the French in Sunday's final.

But Strange, who moved from Buckinghamshire to Italy to play wheelchair basketball, now wants to use the tournament as a stepping stone to the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

She said: "This is a wonderful tournament and it is part of the preparation for the Paralympics.

"We haven't played any matches since Athens so this is the first stepping stone to Beijing.

"This was a great experience. It's lovely playing in front of a home crowd and I don't think it adds pressure at all."

And she added: "It really is so valuable for all the British athletes to be competing here on home soil.

"It doesn't cost a whole lot to compete here which is an issue we always have.

"Next year if we qualify in the Europeans, the Worlds are in Amsterdam so teams are going to be looking at tournaments like this to come and play in.

"Internationally I want to win world-class medals, that's my goal. That's the ambition that gets me on to court every day."

Britain opened the tournament with victories over Sweden and Spain. Defeat by France, despite eight points from Strange, put them into the semi-final against Spain.

Strange weighed in with ten points as Britain beat Spain 52-37 to reach the final but France proved too difficult again as Britain went down to defeat.

But Strange reckons the new-look team needs time to adjust.

She said: "We are playing a different way to the way we played in Athens we are playing well but we just aren't finishing the baskets.

"It's a nice change to play abroad in Italy, it's definitely improving my game because the quality of the league out there is very high. The benefit is I can transfer that on to the national level."