London, which last staged the event in 1934 when it was called the British Empire Games, won with 33.33 per cent of the votes cast.

Fellow English city Liverpool finished tied for second place alongside 2015 Pan American Games hosts Toronto, with both garnering a 16.67 per cent share.

Birmingham and Sydney each amassed 8.33 per cent, while Edmonton, Manchester, Kuala Lumpur and Perth all ended up level on 4.17 per cent.

London tentatively entered the race to host the 2022 Games last month following the decision to take the event away from Durban, but admitted they have concerns over how it would be funded.

The South African city was stripped of the event by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) following lack of progress since they were awarded it in September 2015.

There had been calls for London to step in to stage the event for the first time since 1934, when it was taken away from Johannesburg because of concerns about the way South Africa would treat black and Asian athletes.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised they will investigate whether history can repeat itself and if the British capital can replace Durban.

If a bid from London is successful, then the city will use many of the facilities built for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

These would include the Olympic Stadium, the London Aquatics Centre and the Lee Valley VeloPark.

Accommodation could be a problem, however. 

Toronto's potential bid seemed less likely last month after the City Council voted against accelerating discussions on the idea of stepping in to replace Durban. 

During a City Council meeting, 25 voted against while 18 were in favour.

The decision does not officially rule out a bid from the Canadian city as the issue will now go in front of the Economic Development Committee for further review.

Cities interested in bidding for the 2022 Games have to express their interest by April 28.

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg revealed to insidethegames at last week’s SportAccord Convention in Danish city Aarhus that a process for picking a replacement for Durban has been established.

The CGF has written to all 70 countries and territories eligible to compete in the Commonwealth Games inviting them to bid.

A review team is being set up by the CGF to study the credentials of cities that submit formal expressions of interest.

Other Australian cities to have claimed an interest along with Perth and Sydney are Adelaide and Melbourne.

Singapore could also be a candidate.

Crucially, Commonwealth Games Associations will be able to put forward more than one city for consideration, meaning Australia or England will not have to select a single candidate.

Bids must, however, be accompanied by some form of Government support.

The review team, expected to be made up of CGF officials and international experts, will examine the merits of each bid.

They will then recommend a preferred candidate to the CGF Executive Board.

The whole process is expected to be completed by mid-summer.

To vote on our latest poll on whether cricket should be an Olympic sport, click here.