CHARFIELD hammer thrower Zoe Derham admits she’s still scratching around for the winning formula after settling for silver at the McCain Jumps & Throws Fest in Birmingham.

The 31-year-old former Yate & District AC member could only manage a best throw of 63.94m as a host of British London 2012 Olympians were paraded at the Alexander Stadium – missing out on gold by just nine centimetres.

Derham has been a picture of consistency this season and thrown above 64m on nine occasions, but in Birmingham she fell just short and as a result lost out to Susan McKelvie.

But that remains well short of her personal best of 68.83m and Derham, who has been usurped by London 2012 finalist Sophie Hitchon as the British number one, concedes that she has not been at her best all season.

“My performance was ok, but it was a bit flat. I was consistent but I needed a bit more distance,” said Derham.

“Second is second, at the end of the day. It was really close at the end, and there were only centimetres between us.

“I never thought I’d done enough. I had some good throws but I kept hitting the cage and that took some of the distance off.

“My last throw didn’t catch the cage and I got more distance, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite long enough.

“It was early morning, but there are no excuses. I was pleased with the throw. I would have liked more, but that’s how it is.”

Derham’s greatest achievement in athletics came at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi where she captured bronze for England but with Hitchon, ten years her junior, ruling the domestic roost, her international days appear behind her.

But Derham is adamant that there is still plenty to fight for, revealing she’s determined to surpass her season’s best of 67.39m before her 2012 campaign is over.

“I’ve got the inter-counties competition at the end of the month, and I may still do some more as well,” she added.

“I still feel I can get closer to my season’s best, but I’m still waiting for that throw to come along.”

The McCain Challenge Competition - which covers Indoor, Outdoor track and field and Cross Country - is the country’s premier domestic athletics series. Supported generously by UKA’s Principal Partner McCain, the series provides top quality competition opportunities.